Consumer satisfaction with medical care.

Clinical services have generally been assumed by consumers to be of high quality, but this assumption has not been adequately tested. Consumers themselves can provide input into the assessment of organizational needs, goals and objectives. Once the specific service expected by the consumer has been defined in relation to services available, it is a routine task to monitor consumer satisfaction. The difference between optimum and actual consumer satisfaction can be determined. By analyzing this difference, follow-up procedures can decrease the discrepancy between optimum and actual consumer satisfaction levels. A management approach utilizing consumer satisfaction to monitor multispecialty pediatric care provided handicapped children is described in this article.