[Satisfaction and perceived quality of people insured by the Social Health Protection in Mexico. Methodological foundations].

Objective:: To describe the conceptual framework and methods for implementation and analysis of the satisfaction survey of the Mexican System for Social Protection in Health.

Materials and methods:: We analyze the methodological elements of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 surveys, including the instrument, sampling method and study design, conceptual framework, and characteristics and indicators of the analysis.

Results:: The survey captures information on perceived quality and satisfaction. Sampling has national and State representation. Simple and composite indicators (index of satisfaction and rate of reported quality problems) are built and described. The analysis is completed using Pareto diagrams, correlation between indicators and association with satisfaction by means of multivariate models.

Conclusions:: The measurement of satisfaction and perceived quality is a complex but necessary process to comply with regulations and to identify strategies for improvement. The described survey presents a design and rigorous analysis focused on its utility for improving.