This primer discusses the importance of measuring patient experience as part of health care quality improvement efforts. According to the Institute of Medicine, ensuring that care is patient-centered is one of six essential aims for achieving high-quality health care. The use of surveys to query patients about their experiences in the health care setting is the best and often only way to examine whether the experiences deemed essential for high-quality, patient-centered care actually take place.

Measuring Patient Experience is part of a suite of resources on patient experience designed by Aligning Forces for Quality to assist community health collaboratives in discussing the growing importance of measuring patient experience and providing the information and tools needed to help stakeholders get up to speed.