Providing more low-value care doesn't lead to higher patient experience ratings

As hospitals, insurance companies and policy makers seek to improve healthcare quality and reduce rising medical costs, one important metric used to assess clinicians hinges on how patients feel about their healthcare experience. Many healthcare providers and policy makers fear that increased pressure to please patients -- and ensure high satisfaction ratings as a result -- could lead to overuse of low-value care that doesn't provide any clinical benefit while unnecessarily ratcheting up medical bills.

But new research from the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School may alleviate some of those concerns. The study, published May 28 in END