Although various studies note some correlation between clinical quality measures and patient satisfaction, others stress the lack of a consistent, close statistical relationship between them. Such “discrepancies” are detailed in what often appears to be a campaign to cast doubt on the patient's experience as a relevant indicator of quality care.
This raises an important question: Must there be a one-to-one correlation between the technical delivery and personal experience of care? An even more important question: How should we define “care”?
It can be argued that diagnostic procedures, surgeries and therapies constitute treatment, but not care. Treatment alone isn't care.
“Care” would be described as the treatment and the interpersonal context in which treatment is delivered. This “context” defines the experience. It includes empathy and behaviors that address the emotional, informational, social, cultural and economic issues that accompany sickness and its treatment.