Due to growing internationalisation and increasing competition, IHF has identified that the hospitals are in need of better strategic and operational management tools to enhance improvements.

There is also need for Global benchmarking possibilities to establish best practice performance within the hospital sector, with other industries, and of certain “centres of excellence” within the hospital sector (cardiology etc.).

To establish customer focus within the hospital, scientifically based methods to measure patient satisfaction should be used – methods that enhance cost effectiveness and quality. The methodology used for IPSI is based upon a causal model and provides information on levels of patient satisfaction as well as the driving forces behind it. This methodology is used for customer and employee satisfaction surveys by several large corporations worldwide like Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Deutsche Bank, UPS, British Telecom, Electrolux and McDonalds.

IPSI will be the first global index focused on patient satisfaction. Not only will the worldwide survey enable hospitals to benchmark themselves within the hospital sector and with their peers in certain areas of excellence, it will also enable hospitals to benchmark its operations with other industries.

With IPSI, a global standard using best practice survey methodology will be established. The survey is built around the patient’s total hospital experience – not just the medical outcome. This information will enable hospitals to analyse what financial effects certain improvements would have.