|
Are Satisfied Patients Safe? |
|
In healthcare, we all work towards improving our patient satisfaction scores, as they affect our reputation and our reimbursement. There is some literature to support that higher patient satisfaction scores correlate with higher quality metrics. However, an essay in the New Yorker suggests that focusing efforts on satisfaction may result in lower quality, and a previous study indicated there was no correlation between patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes. The New Yorker author argues that patients are more satisfied with providers that tell them what they want to hear, not necessarily what is best for them. This literature will continue to evolve, as will the coupling between patient satisfaction and reimbursement. |
