Perceptions of Care Quality and the Effect on Patient Satisfaction

This research models the impact of patient perceptions of care quality on overall patient satisfaction in a rural healthcare organization over a three-year time period. The purpose of this paper is to determine if the factors that influence perceptions of service quality change over time and if the change affects overall patient satisfaction. Multiple regression models of overall patient satisfaction over a three-year time period had significant repeat variables, indicating salience of the dimensions and constructs of service quality that predict patient satisfaction. However, some dimensions of service quality did not remain significant from one year to another, indicating there may be a gap in the patient service cycle over an extended time frame.