Health investment management based on patient satisfaction with the primary care doctor in the Spanish national health service context. A gender perspective

Abstract

Public management of a national health system (NHS) is a major challenge for policy makers. It is due to, on the one hand, the ageing of the population in developed countries, what leads to an increasing demand for health services. And, on the other hand, to the increase in the citizens’ expectations, who are increasingly demanding and require higher quality services. All this adds to the increase costs of technology and limited economic resources.1 Providing a high service quality is the goal of a NHS,2 since the health sector is a sector where low quality has serious consequences.3 Quality is a precursor of patient satisfaction and there is a positive correlation between the two, so that more quality implies more satisfaction.4,5