Listening to the customer: implementing a patient satisfaction measurement system.

Patient satisfaction is an important issue in positioning ambulatory medical services. An effective patient satisfaction measurement program not only helps hospital managers improve the quality of clinical and administrative activities, but also helps the hospital remain viable in increasingly competitive markets. A method for the design and measurement of patient satisfaction with outpatient Endoscopy Lab services is described in this article. The survey focuses on the sequence of events experienced by the patient. Outcome measures of primary interest include global patient satisfaction and the likelihood of using the service again if given a choice. Analysis of patient responses shows that global satisfaction with the outpatient experience is positively associated with service return intention. Additional analysis shows that facility cleanliness, privacy and nurse attention are most strongly associated with global patient satisfaction. Results underscore the importance of various service attributes on patient satisfaction and return intention and of the need to further expand the uses of patient satisfaction measurement in the outpatient Endoscopy Lab.