Assessing consumer satisfaction in rehabilitation and allied health care settings

This article describes the challenges that inhere to consumer satisfaction research in the fields of rehabilitation and health care, discusses strategies for improving the psychometric soundness and scientific rigor of research in this increasingly important knowledge domain, and cites several examples from the contemporary literature of measurement and design approaches that have been identified as particularly useful in gauging consumer satisfaction with services. Mixed-method and qualitative research strategies such as in-depth interviews and focus groups are emphasized as ways of broadening and deepening the field's understanding of the multi-dimensional construct of consumer satisfaction.