Are Patient Satisfaction Instruments Harming Both Patients and Physicians?

Patient satisfaction surveys have become a mainstay of the health care experience. Patients have become accustomed to responding to surveys, physicians attentively monitor their aggregate satisfaction scores, and public payers reward physicians and institutions with strong results. This reliance comes from good intentions. Patient satisfaction is an integral element of care, and scholars have argued that positive patient experience represents an important quality dimension not captured in other metrics. Read the latest paper co-authored by BAHM President Kevin Schulman here.