Abstract
BackgroundPrimary health care is the entry point to the health-care system and regarded as an essential step to achieving universal health coverage. The present study aimed at evaluating the quality of health-care services provided in health centers in Mashhad, Iran.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study implemented among 200 health service users who were referring to four health centers in Mashhad during January to June 2019. The quality of services in health centers was evaluated with the SERVQUAL and HEALTHQUAL models. Data was analyzed by employing paired t-test and independent sample t-test using SPSS version 16 software. The Levene test was used for examining the equality of variance (homogeneity). Significance level of all the tests was considered when p ≤ 0.05.ResultsAccording to the results of SERVQUAL questionnaire, the average scores of health service users’ expectations and perceptions were 4.97 and 3.26, respectively, and the quality gap in the provided services was equal to − 1.7. Based on HEALTHQUAL questionnaire, the average scores of health service users’ perception and expectations were 4.72 and 3.25, respectively, and the quality gap in the provided services was equal to − 1.16. Empathy was the highest quality dimension (− 2.019) based on SERVQUAL model, and efficiency dimension was the highest based on HEALTHQUAL model (− 1.761).ConclusionsThe findings of the current study showed a negative gap between the service users’ expectations and perceptions in both models. Therefore, the results of this study helps the health managers and policymakers to plan effective interventions for improving the provided services emphasizing the dimensions with the wider gaps.
Highlights
Primary health care is the entry point to the health-care system and regarded as an essential step to achieving universal health coverage
Health centers are responsible for providing primary health care services such as promotive, preventive and curative, and refer only those cases that need more specialized services including secondary and tertiary care [3]
The findings of this study granted evidences regarding the quality gaps in primary health care. These evidences help researchers in health field, and policymakers to develop effective interventions for eliminating the recognized gaps. This was a cross-sectional study implemented among health service users who were referring to four health centers in Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran and the capital of Razavi Khorasan province, during January to June 2019
Summary
Primary health care is the entry point to the health-care system and regarded as an essential step to achieving universal health coverage. PHC is an important strategy that provides universal health care coverage in order to increasing health equity and health promotion [2]. In Iran, health-care services are provided at three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Health centers are responsible for providing primary health care services such as promotive, preventive and curative, and refer only those cases that need more specialized services including secondary and tertiary care [3]. Providing appropriate and quality health-care services in these centers will prevent unnecessary referrals and additional costs. The world health organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of quality in providing health-care services and declared the access to quality health care for all as the way of achieving sustainable development [6]. In Iran, provision of quality health services has been focused in the country’s upstream documents such as the general health policies in the national five-year development plan [9, 10]
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