Abstract

Objectives: Measuring patient satisfaction is one of the essential parts of determining the quality of medical care. However, for a physician wishing to perform this measurement, there is no practical, commonly used, and Turkish-adapted scoring tool which can be used for different diseases. In this paper, a novel scoring tool called “Visual Analog Patient Satisfaction Scale,” which aims to measure patient satisfaction with medical care, is presented.

Study Design: Outcome and patient satisfaction scales were reviewed. A novel scaling system was developed using the experience obtained by the practice and by observations with patients.

Results: This scale includes a vertical line and accompanying two faces at its inferior and superior ends, representing complete dissatisfaction and full satisfaction. The patient signs the point on the line which matches his/her level of satisfaction with the medical care. The scoring is made between 0 to 10. The Visual Analog Patient Satisfaction Scale takes advantage of two validated and commonly-used scales (Visual Analog Pain Scale and Wong-Baker Scale). It is an easy-to-understand and practical scoring tool which can be applied to patients of every age and educational level. The drawback of the scale is its insensitivity to the components of satisfaction, in other words, what makes the patient satisfied or dissatisfied.

Conclusion: By knowing its limitations, one can use the scale to measure “the general level of satisfaction with medical care” objectively and practically.