The effective use of patient satisfaction data.

Demonstrating the importance of patient satisfaction as a measure of health services quality, health care organizations are increasingly investing in information systems for the collection and manipulation of patient satisfaction data. Unfortunately, these information resources are often squandered as a variety of methodological, organizational, and psychological obstacles work to prohibit the productive use of patient satisfaction data. This article discusses the challenges that health care managers and clinicians face in effectively using patient satisfaction data and identifies statistical, operations management, and managerial-specific skills that these individuals should possess to use satisfaction data successfully.