Is patient satisfaction influenced by the intensity of medical resource use by their physicians?

Objective: To determine whether patients' satisfaction with their primary care is related to providers' use of medical resources.

Study Design: Sixty-two practices serving 2805 patients enrolled in BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota were analyzed using hierarchical regression models.

Methods: Three measures of satisfaction included patient satisfaction with overall healthcare, patient satisfaction with the time spent with a physician or other provider during a visit, and the likelihood that a patient would recommend the clinic to others.