Patient satisfaction -: a measure for success of treatment?

The value of patient satisfaction in psychotherapeutic services is still discussed controversely. We examined this constructs' relations to efficacy, economy and acceptance of therapeutic interventions. After a short overview of different measures for patient-satisfaction three aspects of its validity are investigated on the basis of quality-assurance data. Using the ZUF-8, an 8-item questionnaire, relations between patient satisfaction and therapeutic outcomes, patients' further service utilization and aspects of therapeutic alliance are investigated. Relations between patient satisfaction and therapeutic outcomes are not very strong. There are differences between further service utilization behavior of satisfied vs. dissatisfied patients. Relations between patient satisfaction and therapeutic alliance are marked for certain aspects of therapeutic alliance. Relatively, the effects found were strong whereas absolutely, these effects are rather weak. This is so mostly because only very few patients report dissatisfaction with their treatment.