[Patients' evaluations as quality measurements in general practice].

Patients' evaluations have several functions as quality measurements: A general judgement of the quality of the health care system and a direct assessment of defined aspects of service and care. In this article the concept of patient satisfaction and the application of patients' evaluations on quality improvement in the health care system is discussed. Despite many attempts to formulate an explanatory theory about the matter, a useful theoretical basis for the concept of satisfaction is still missing. This does not imply the exclusion of patients' evaluation of the health system, and it is discussed why and in which areas of quality improvement patients should be involved and how their evaluations should be interpreted. Studies including patients' evaluations are referred to and discussed.