Linking Patients' Experience with Health Care to Clinical Quality and Outcomes

Award Amount: $101,378
Approval Date: November 8, 2005
Start Date: December 1, 2005
End Date: November 30, 2006
New England Medical Centers, Inc.
750 Washington Street, Box 345
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
Principal Investigator: Dana Safran

To encourage widespread adoption of quality measurement and improvement activities designed to meet the needs of patients, health care leaders must learn more about the relationship between patient-centered care and improved clinical outcomes. This project will analyze the association between patient care experiences and clinical performance at both the individual physician and practice levels. As part of their work, the investigators will determine whether specific components of the patient experience, such as communication or trust, are more strongly associated with clinical quality, and whether the relationship between patient satisfaction and clinical performance sometimes depends on the level of patient adherence required for treatment. Results from these analyses could generate a greater commitment among health systems, purchasers, and policymakers to patient-centered care.