[Towards a strategy for quality assurance: satisfaction in the utilization of medical care]

This study aims to develop methodological tools to assess and guarantee quality of medical care by investigating satisfaction of expectations by objects of care (patients), medical institutions (directors), and direct providers of care (health personnel). The perspectives of this analysis included the structure, process, and outcomes of medical care. Perhaps the novelty of the research is its democratic approach, i.e., the three main protagonists' freedom of expression regarding medical care and the questioning of such aspects as individual, social, and professional satisfaction and the work environment, ultimately leading to the humanization of the work and thus to quality of care.