Report says patient satisfaction surveys are flawed

A Hastings Center report released last week concludes that patient satisfaction surveys used for quality initiatives are flawed and could lead to “bad medicine.” The report, called Patient Satisfaction Survey on a Scale of 0 to 10, finds that the pressure on healthcare providers to get good ratings can compromise the quality of care.

Patient satisfaction is a major component of quality initiatives including value-based purchasing. Report authors Alexandra Junewicz and Stuart Youngner write that the focus on patient satisfaction may lead organizations and providers to honor patient requests for unnecessary or harmful treatments.

For more information, read the study abstract.