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LETTERS: Catherine Baraniak, Ian O'Connor, Rahul Gupta, Seema Gupta, William Rifkin, Arthur Rifkin, and John Horiszny Can nurse practitioners provide equivalent care to GPs? BMJ 2002; 325: 166 [Full text]

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Patient satisfaction no indication of quality care.

S W Stuart Menzies   (20 July 2002)

Patient satisfaction no indication of quality care. 20 July 2002
S W Stuart Menzies, Retired General Practitioner Send response to journal: Re: Patient satisfaction no indication of quality care.	Rifkin W, Rifkin A & Horisny J (Brit Med J. 2002, 325: 167f. 20 July 02) rightly question the validity of patient satisfaction as a measure of the quality of (medical) practice. It is well to remember that the erstwhile patients of Dr Harold Shipman were satisfied with his care and practice, and had a good opinion of him ere he was accused, and later convicted of the murder of several patients. Today it appears that a further 200+ unfortunate patients were also murdered. Examination of th levels and reasons for patient dissatisfaction might be of more value in pursuit of quality of care