Coskun Bakar, H. Seval Akgün and A.F. Al Assaf
This paper aims to conduct a preliminary assessment of patient attitudes regarding important aspects of service dimensions using SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach – The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to conduct a preliminary assessment of patient attitudes regarding important aspects of service dimensions using SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach – The SERVQUAL scale is routinely used at the Baskent University Hospitals Network, Turkey. The study consisted of 550 randomly chosen patients who presented to any member of the hospital network during January and February 2006 and received treatment as inpatients or outpatients at those healthcare facilities.
Findings
The patients' perceived scores were higher than expected for an ordinary hospital but lower than expected for a high‐quality hospital. Young patients had a high‐expected service score gap and a low adequate service score difference. Highly educated patients had a high‐expected service score difference. Uninsured patients had a low adequate service score difference. Originality/value – Baskent University multidisciplinary healthcare teams have performed periodic patient satisfaction surveys in order to identify strengths and problem areas, formulate the quality improvement objectives and monitor progress towards achieving these objectives. However, patient satisfaction survey results are often highly positive. In these cases, improving care is not easy because measures are not sensitive enough to changes. Therefore a more sensitive measurement tool based on the SERVQUAL scale was developed. The authors believe that patient opinions are extremely important because they provide information that is not necessarily emphasized by managers or health care professionals, resulting in a more complete assessment of past performance and a clearer road map for future action.
Details
Keywords
Coskun Bakar, H. Seval Akgün and A.F. Al Assaf
The aim of this paper is to document a study, in which the SERVQUAL scale was used to evaluate hospital services, conducting a preliminary assessment of patient attitudes…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to document a study, in which the SERVQUAL scale was used to evaluate hospital services, conducting a preliminary assessment of patient attitudes regarding the important aspects of service dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
The SERVQUAL scale was implemented into routine use at the Baskent University Hospitals Network in Baskent, Turkey. The study consisted of 550 randomly chosen patients who presented to any member hospital in that network during January and February 2006 and received treatment as inpatients or outpatients at those healthcare facilities. The SERVQUAL scale was utilised to evaluate hospital services.
Findings
A questionnaire was completed by a total of 472 (86.0 per cent) patients. The perceived scores of the patients were higher than expected for an ordinary hospital but lower than expected for a high‐quality hospital. The highest difference between the perceived service score and the expected service score was found at the Alanya Application and Research Center in Alanya, Turkey.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the use of the SERVQUAL scale in measuring the functional quality of the hospitals assessed.
Details
Keywords
Raghav Upadhyai, Neha Upadhyai, Arvind Kumar Jain, Hiranmoy Roy and Vimal Pant
Health care service is a widely researched area. Several established models and instruments measuring health care service quality (HCSQ) are available in the published academic…
Abstract
Purpose
Health care service is a widely researched area. Several established models and instruments measuring health care service quality (HCSQ) are available in the published academic literature. The objective of this article is to summarize this vast pool of available knowledge under the themes of HCSQ, its determinants and measurement strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
Sixty-three available published studies in peer reviewed journal combed in EBSCO and Google Scholar database have been examined and presented in exemplary literature review.
Findings
The findings have been segregated under the themes of HCSQ, its dimensions and determinants. It can be deduced from the findings that in spite of health care being a professional service, the user defined service quality takes center stage.
Originality/value
Rather than the seeker of care, the authors call for further research by taking a dyadic view of professional exchanges and including providers' perspectives of care in service quality evaluations as well.
Details
Keywords
Rohit Trivedi and Khyati Jagani
The purpose of this study is to understand that how different demographic variables and repeated availing of service from the same doctor or same hospital shape the overall…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand that how different demographic variables and repeated availing of service from the same doctor or same hospital shape the overall perception of health-care service quality and satisfaction among inpatients admitted in private hospitals in an emerging economy.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered, cross-sectional survey of inpatients using a questionnaire was translated into Hindi and Gujarati. The data were collected from 702 inpatients from 18 private clinics located in three selected cities from Western India.
Findings
The results indicate that experience with hospital administration, doctors, nursing staff, physical environment, hospital pharmacy and physical environment is significant predictor of inpatient satisfaction. Physical environment was found to be significantly associated with satisfaction only among female inpatient. It was also found that repeat availing of services either from the same hospital or doctor does not increase patient satisfaction. The feasibility, reliability and validity of the instrument that measures major technical and nontechnical dimensions of quality of health-care services were established in the context of a developing country.
Originality/value
The study makes important contribution by empirically investigating the inpatient assessment of health-care service quality based upon their demographic information and repeated availing of services to understand how repeat visit shapes the service quality perception.
Details
Keywords
Uma Maheswari Devi Parmata, Sankara Rao B. and Rajashekhar B.
The aim of this paper is to contribute to the services marketing literature by developing a scale based on Parasuraman’s SERVQUAL scale for the measurement of distributor…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to contribute to the services marketing literature by developing a scale based on Parasuraman’s SERVQUAL scale for the measurement of distributor perceived service quality at the distributor–manufacturer interface of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a literature review and discussions with experts, a questionnaire was designed basing on the widely used service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL). Personal survey was conducted among selected distributors spread over three major cities of the Indian pharmaceutical market. The study used the exploratory factor analysis to identify the critical factors of service quality followed by the confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS 20).
Findings
A valid scale with four dimensions – (reliability, assurance, responsiveness and communication) and 13 items for measuring the distributor perceived service quality was developed which also satisfied all the reliability and validity tests. The findings of the present study indicate that distributor perceived service quality has an effect on satisfaction.
Practical implications
The proposed scale is an attempt to explore the less researched area. This study will give further insights to researchers to measure service quality at different phases of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The study is limited to three cities; it can be extended to other regions of the country. This study will be helpful to the practicing managers to measure the service quality and improve the performance in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Social implications
Service quality in pharmaceutical supply chain is very important, as it directly effects the health of the people, so the proposed scale can be used to control the quality of service.
Originality/value
The scale developed in this study can also be used for measuring distributor perceived service quality in other manufacturing sectors. This research provides direction and scope for further research to develop new concepts and models in measuring service quality in the supply chain.
Details
Keywords
Shailesh Rastogi and Arpita Sharma
A highly competitive market incentivizes private healthcare providers to deliver high quality services. The purpose of this paper is to identify the perceived expectations of a…
Abstract
Purpose
A highly competitive market incentivizes private healthcare providers to deliver high quality services. The purpose of this paper is to identify the perceived expectations of a new private multi-speciality hospital in a non-metro city. To this end, the paper develops a model using identified relevant factors.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire was administered to 900 people. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were then applied to the data, and partial least square-structural equation modelling was used to test the moderated mediation model.
Findings
Word-of-mouth and safety (WM) and access to the hospital and the cost of medical services are found to be important factors for the perceived expectations of the hospitals by medical facility and treatment at a hospital. High quality medical facilities can lead to improved perceived expectations of hospitals, mediated by positive WM. Levels of access to the hospital and the cost of services can significantly moderate the perceived expectations of a hospital, despite good medical facilities.
Practical implications
The study has implications for policymakers and hospital authorities in the context of private sector multi-speciality hospitals in non-metro cities. It will help healthcare managers and service providers to better understand customer perceived expectations, and thereby develop effective strategies for customer service. Decision-makers are encouraged to focus on positive word-of-mouth and enhancement of customer safety to bring about favourable expectations of hospitals. Beyond merely having excellent medical facilities, hospitals that ensure ease of access to the hospital and keep costs low can achieve positive consumer expectations and satisfaction levels.
Originality/value
The paper makes three novel contributions as follows: the mere presence of high quality medical facilities and practices does not equate to positive expectations about the hospital among the patients; access to the hospital and the cost of its services are important in bringing about positive expectations among healthcare consumers; and WM can significantly moderate positive expectations of the hospital. The authors are not aware of any of these findings being previously reported.
Details
Keywords
Prachi Verma, Satinder Kumar and Sanjeev K. Sharma
Use of technology for quality healthcare services has developed into a new field known as “e-Healthcare services.” Healthcare providers often judge their quality of services with…
Abstract
Purpose
Use of technology for quality healthcare services has developed into a new field known as “e-Healthcare services.” Healthcare providers often judge their quality of services with consumer satisfaction. With e-Healthcare services, consumer satisfaction is influenced by the quality of healthcare services provided and the demographic characteristics. The purpose of the present case study is to recognize the important predictors of quality, which are significant for consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services by using Zineldin's 5Qs model. It also aims to find the strength of association among the predictors of consumer satisfaction and the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire-based study was conducted at a public (PGIMER, Chandigarh) and a private hospital (Fortis Hospital, Mohali) of Punjab, India, from February 2018 to March 2019. The structured, closed-ended questionnaire, to be marked on a 1–5 point Likert scale, was adapted from Zineldin's 5Qs model and was distributed to the respondents sitting in the waiting halls of the selected hospitals. The respondents comprised of both the patients and their attendants who were aware of e-Healthcare services and were using them.
Findings
The analysis identified quality of interaction, quality of hospital atmosphere and quality of object to be the key predictors of consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services. The results reveal a strong association between different demographic characteristics and overall consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services.
Practical implications
The results suggest that improvements in the quality of interaction, quality of hospital atmosphere and quality of object may result in higher consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services. Working on the identified dimensions of quality will help the e-Healthcare providers in identifying functional problems of e-Healthcare services and developing improvement strategies, which will also result in better health and quality outcomes. The results of this study will help the e-Healthcare providers in better segmentation of e-Healthcare consumers based on their demographic characteristics and in developing better marketing strategies.
Originality/value
This paper focuses on the quality of e-Healthcare services only and attempts to identify the quality dimensions, which leads to the satisfaction of e-Healthcare consumers. The identified quality dimensions will help in designing better e-Healthcare services and framing policies. It also highlights the association of demographic characteristics with important quality dimensions.