title: What really matters to healthcare consumers.
abstract: Consumer satisfaction with healthcare is an important quality and outcome indicator. Satisfaction may be at the crux of survival for healthcare delivery systems because it creates the competitive edge in healthcare. To better understand patient satisfaction by examining consumer healthcare experiences and expectations, a study was conducted. An important concept identified in the data, MY CARE, refers to a constellation of quality healthcare features that were wished for by all participants and realized by only some of them. The features of MY CARE offer lessons for all healthcare leaders to use when making improvements in care delivery systems-improvements that could create a more patient-centered healthcare system and boost patient satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: The Geneva Foundation, Tacoma, Wash, USA. bmjennings@cox.net
authors.forename: Bonnie Mowinski
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: Stacy L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Heiner
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Loan
authors.forename: Eileen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Hemman
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States