Patient Satisfaction as an Important Indicator for Measuring Quality in Health Care

Each patient is unique, with his own needs, strengths, values, and beliefs. Family practice centers work to establish trust and open communication with patients and to understand and protect each patient’s cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual values.         Patient care outcomes can be improved when patients and, as appropriate, their families and/or those who make decisions on their behalf are well informed and involved in care decisions and processes in a way that matches their cultural expectations.¹ Patient satisfaction is the extent to which patients are happy with their healthcare, both inside and outside of the doctor's office. A measure of care quality, patient satisfaction gives providers insights into various aspects of medicine; including the effectiveness of their care and their level of empathy¹.