Cuesta-Benjumea, Carmen de la An exploratory investigation of the sources of patient satisfaction in ambulatory care CUESTA BENJUMEA, Carmen de la. "An exploratory investigation of the sources of patient satisfaction in ambulatory care". Social Sciences in Health. Vol. 3, n. 4 (1997). ISSN 1352-4127, pp. 222-231 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/18361 DOI: ISSN: 1352-4127 Abstract: An exploratory analysis was carried out to describe patient satisfaction with ambulatory care. The analysis aimed at gaining an understanding of satisfaction with the care received from the patient's perspective; it was guided by the principles of qualitative analysis. Findings from the present study show clearly the central role that relationships and patients' expectations play in satisfaction and relate to (1) knowledge about own illness, (2) a sense of being known and treated in a personal manner, and (3) alertness on the part of the doctor. Expectations are met when patients perceive a congruency with the medical care they receive and when they feel there are positive outcomes. Trust in the doctor and the treatment was found to mediate patient satisfaction. Keywords:Patient satisfaction, Quality assurance, Qualitative analysis Arnold info:eu-repo/semantics/article