Tracking patient satisfaction at an academic medical center.

Rising consumer expectations for convenient, quality health care is forcing many hospitals to focus increasing attention to measuring consumer perception and satisfaction with the care provided. At the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, getting in close touch with the consumer has assumed a strategic position. As one part of the evolving Marketing Information System, a patient satisfaction tracking system is being designed to illicit patient feedback and hospital responses to service issues, assess patient satisfaction with various services, serve as a benchmark for evaluating changes in satisfaction over time, and provide necessary information for medical center planning, marketing and evaluation.