Patients' Perceptions of Office Medical Practice: Judging Quality through the Patients' Eyes

With increasing pressure to measure quality, patient- based assessments of medical care are becoming increasingly important. Patients offer a unique perspec tive for evaluating the nontechnical aspects of medical care. This study reviews the importance of utilizing pa tients' perceptions to measure quality of care in office settings. It also reviews the principles required to con duct a well done survey. The concept of patient percep tions differs from the more commonly measured concept of patient satisfaction, in that perceptions measure whether a patients' needs and expectations are met, in addition to satisfaction. One of the most accurate and efficient means of measuring patients' perceptions is through the use of surveys. As with all standardized data collection, creating and performing high quality surveys of patients' perceptions can be challenging. Valid and reliable patient survey data can enable prac titioners to identify areas for improvement, and demon strate to external reviewers the quality of care they provide to their patients.