Key Points
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Consumer satisfaction, in its widest sense, is seen as being a complex process balancing consumer expectations with perceptions of the service or product in question.
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The 'zone of tolerance' theory explains how consumers are able to recognise that service performance may vary along with the extent to which they are willing to accept this variation.
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Similar mechanisms appear to play a role in the determination of patient satisfaction with healthcare, although this review suggests that the process is far from being a simplistic comparison between expectations and perceptions.
Abstract
Against a background of growing consumerism, satisfying patients has become a key task for all healthcare providers. This paper reviews current conceptual models of consumer satisfaction, including the one most dominant in the marketing literature — disconfirmation theory.
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Newsome, P., Wright, G. A review of patient satisfaction: 1. Concepts of satisfaction. Br Dent J 186, 161–165 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800052
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800052
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