Quality of healthcare service and its influencing factors

Abstract

Although INDIAN healthcare is described as “the largest sector, both in revenue and employment.” Developments and improvements in healthcare services give importance to the concept of competition and encourage increased quality among the healthcare centers. The quality of service –the characteristics that shape care experience beyond technical competence- is rarely discussed in the medical literature. This study reveals the determinants that affect the perception of the quality of healthcare services from the patients’ points of view. A cross-sectional method was followed to determine the perception of quality of healthcare services and relating variables, including infrastructure, reliability & responsiveness, empathy, affordability, and administration. The data collected from 400 in-patients for the study were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. This study connects the findings of related studies that the hospital service quality significantly affected patients’ perceptions. Results confirmed that healthcare service quality aspects (i.e., physical environment, staff behavior, responsiveness, affordable services, admission process) positively relate to patients’ perception. Findings will help the hospital managers articulate effective strategies to ensure superior quality of healthcare services to patients. The study will induce hospital management to focus on the quality of private healthcare service systems and improvements towards deficient healthcare services.