Healthcare Services Costs and Customers Satisfaction Term Paper

Healthcare Services Costs and Customers Satisfaction - Term Paper Example In nations like the United States, healthcare represents big business as well as the highest spender of per capita. Its quality, therefore, must greatly be reflected in customer satisfaction because it will be the determinant between profit and loss (Karen & Ashish, 2012). This is mainly because satisfied customers (patients) will stick with particular healthcare providers and give recommendations. However, the relationship between quality healthcare and customer satisfaction is not always as straightforward as it may seem, because satisfied patients do not automatically become healthier persons. In this view, customer satisfaction can be considered more of a measure than a distinct phenomenon. This aspect further gives the relationship a more complex angle, because quality of service can also be viewed from the perspective of service providers. When the providers themselves are not satisfied, customers will not be satisfied (Mind, 2000). Customers seek healthcare services because th ey have needs, expectations and concerns. They get satisfied when these are identified and addressed appropriately and affordably without compromising the quality, which also translates into the providers earning profits. Customer satisfaction in healthcare is mainly associated with their inpatient stays and the degree of mortality risk. Quality of healthcare that results in customer satisfaction will be determined by the time spent on care, rate of readmission and the use of diagnostics.