The cost of satisfaction

My pick of the day for your reading list is a two-year-old article on the use of patient satisfaction surveys as a proxy for quality of care measures: The Cost of Satisfaction (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2012).

May I suggest pairing it with this 3-minute video of Don Berwick explaining his vision for patient-centered care (thanks to Sherry Reynolds for the reminder):

His closing remark about how human dignity should be at the center of the definition of health care reminds me of a favorite phrase of a dear relative of mine who recently passed away: “There is no way to peace — peace is the way.”

Further, you might be interested in broader context for a worrisome aspect of our culture — to exaggerate our estimation of others’ goodness. See my previous post, The Lake Wobegone effect in health care — and how to fight it.

Read, listen, and please comment if you have thoughts to share.