Conduct and use of Patient Satisfaction Research in Health Care
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of Patient Satisfaction Research in health care. By understanding the definition of patient satisfaction as well the use of patient satisfaction surveys in health care, others will be able to comprehend how managers of Health Care Organizations use the scores to improve the quality of care in their organization. After defining patient satisfaction research, then the question will be answered on how patient satisfaction surveys are used in health care, what influences patient satisfaction, how these surveys and research influence health service organizations, how the quality of health care is influenced by patient satisfaction as well as how health care organizations make improvements in quality within their organizations because of patient satisfaction research.
Introduction Patient satisfaction is one of the ways that health care organizations understand how patients feel when they visit a Health Service Organization (HSO). Many patients who come into a hospital setting or urgent care facility will normally be asked to fill out a patient satisfaction survey either before they leave the facility or within a few days after discharge. Just like when someone goes to a retail store and gets randomly selected to take a survey online about their customer satisfaction, patient satisfaction is viewed the same way in health care. Sometimes patients receive phone calls from the nurse that took care of them to make sure everything was fine with them as well as to get an idea of how satisfied they were with the service. It is up to the patient whether or not the facility or care provider has met that person’s expectations and preferences. The fact that 50% of Americans believe that the US Health Care system is