Evaluation of the Quality of Services Provided by Selected Hospitals in Tehran City using the SERVQUAL Model

Abstract

Introduction: One of the factors that increases competitive ability is to improve the quality of presented service in organizations such as hospitals. Providing superior services through maintaining high quality is a prerequisite for the success of service organizations. The SERVQUAL model is one of the most commonly used tools for measuring service quality satisfaction. So the aim of this study was to assess the quality of services of selected hospitals through the SERVQUAL model. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical study that conducted in 2016. The population of the study consisted of all patients which needed to outpatient care services and referred to selected hospitals. Using Morgan's table, the sample size was 398, of which 381 completed questionnaires. The main tool of this research was questionnaire based on SERVQUAL model. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 19 using descriptive statistics methods and descriptive inferential methods for explaining the research hypotheses. Results: Pearson correlation test was showed that there is a direct relationship between perceived service and patient satisfaction. About responsiveness: high response rate, about empathy dimension: quite location, physical factors: possessing suitable space for waiting, from reassurance: providing accurate information to patients, and about reliability: personnel's timeliness has the greatest impact on patient satisfaction. Also, reliability (r = 0.69 and P = 0.007), assurance (r = 0 49, P = 0.003), empathy (r = 0.36, P = 0.001), responsiveness (r = 0.58, P = 0.001) and physical factors (r = 0.37, P = 0.003) have significant relationship with quality of services (P = 0.00). Conclusions: Significant relationship between the quality of services with patient satisfaction shows that, in order to increase the satisfaction of patients, more attention should be paid to the dimensions of the quality of services such as reliability, accountability, assurance, empathy, and physical factors, so in addition to increasing patient satisfaction, the necessary encouragement for health center service also created.