Assessment of patient expectations for care.

This research identified patients' expectations for their hospitalization and immediate, posthospitalization outcomes of care. Patients' expectations for care are integral to tailoring care to meet needs. Little investigation of patients' overall expectations for hospitalization exists and standardized instruments to measure them are unavailable. Qualitative analyses of 20 interviews yielded 105 data bits, subsequently rated by a second sample of 18 patients. Eight themes and 70 items resulted. Several expectations are distinct from items typical in patient satisfaction instruments. Assessment of patient expectations offers insights to what they value and expect during hospitalization and provides an important foundation for assessing patients' experiences, based on their expectations. Such assessment ultimately contributes to the goal of assessing patient-centered care.