The objective of this prospective observational cohort study is to describe the perception of quality of care of patients or reference companions admitted to a medical-surgical ICU.

Background: Quality assessment in health systems is essential for the improvement and development of services. Assessments using the structure, process and outcomes model are the most widespread, however understanding the health system as a business model makes assessment essential. how much the service is able to meet the expectations of the patient and the market.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) highlights three domains (Triple aim) in which health systems must develop. Among them is "Improving the patient experience". One of the 6 domains of quality of care is patient-centeredness. Several funding institutions and scientific authorities have, in recent years, encouraged patient-centered clinical research with the use of outcomes that are also patient-centered.

The perception of the quality of the service provided to the critically ill patient or even is an uncommon outcome in the literature, especially evaluated with an objective and effective tool.

The SERVQUAL tool proposed by Parasuraman et al. It aims to compare the expectations and perceptions of the patient/companion regarding the quality of care provided.

In the literature, data on patient-centered perspectives and demands are scarce.

Purpose: To identify the difference between expectation and perception of care quality during the stay in the general ICU of a tertiary hospital. Objectives: To evaluate the perception of quality of care of patients admitted to a general ICU through the SERVQUAL tool translated and culturally adapted to the portuguese idiom.

Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study involving adult patients admitted to the general ICU (53 beds) of a tertiary hospital from July 1 to September 30, 2023. The SERVQUAL tool questionnaire of expectations will be applied in the first 24 hours after admission to the ICU and the perception questionnaire applied in the first 24 hours after discharge from the unit.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients ≥ 18 years old
• consent form signed by the patient or a family member.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients unable to respond and who do not have reference companions
• Patients readmitted to the ICU during the study period.

All adult patients admitted to the 53 beds general ICU during the study period. The SERVQUAL scale will be applied with the questionnaire of expectations in the first 24 hours of admission and perception questionnaire within the first 24 hours after discharge.