Quality assurance in surgery. Patient perceptions of quality.

Quality assessment and assurance should be concerned not only with technical aspects of health care but also the patient's views. This paper examines patient perceptions of the quality of care through structured interviews and focus group discussions in Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea. The results indicated a need for more concern for patient well-being, greater attention to provision of information and improvements in living conditions in the hospital. The findings of this study will be used as a means to improve the patient's experience of surgical care. Similar studies could be performed as a measure of quality in other hospitals in the developing world.