Health Care Service Quality and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction “Case of Al-Bashir Hospital”

Rula Al-Damen

doi:10.5539/ijbm.v12n9p136

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the impact of perceived health care service quality on patient satisfaction at a major government hospital in Jordan. For this purpose, the study developed an instrument based on modified ‘SERVQUAL’ using five service quality dimensions, namely: empathy, tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance. A survey was conducted to collect data with a total of 448 outpatient participants. Statistical techniques such as descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed to test the hypotheses. Results show that there is an impact of perceived health care service quality on overall patient satisfaction. Reliability had the most influence, followed by empathy and assurance. The study provided a set of recommendations.

Highlights

Service quality has become an important topic in view of its significant relationship to profit, cost saving and market share
There is a growing consensus that patient satisfaction is an important indicator of health care quality and many hospitals are searching for ways to change the delivery of patient care through quality improvement initiatives
The null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted, proving that there is an impact of healthcare service quality on overall patient satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

Service quality has become an important topic in view of its significant relationship to profit, cost saving and market share. The interest in health care service quality is increasing. There is a growing consensus that patient satisfaction is an important indicator of health care quality and many hospitals are searching for ways to change the delivery of patient care through quality improvement initiatives. Jordan is a country that has limited natural resources, low middle-income rates and high population growth rate. Jordan's economy is service-oriented, where the services sector constitutes for 67 percent of Jordan’s GDP, while the combined contribution of industry, agriculture, mining, construction, water and electricity does not exceed 33 percent of the GDP (Alfanek, 2017). The health sector in Jordan consists of service providers (public, private, international and charity sectors) and councils and institutions working on the development of health policy

Objectives

Methods

Results