Satisfied patients? An investigation of eye care services in hospitals in South India

Abstract

Background: Competition across the healthcare sector has arguably led to better services and improved efficiency. In this market, patient satisfaction remains an extremely important indicator of quality. Patient satisfaction is a person's feeling of pleasure, or disappointment, resulting from a comparison between a perceived expectation against their outcome. Satisfied patients may help to drive changes in hospitals, which could result in a better understanding of patient quality. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify patient's satisfaction levels in different cluster groups regarding eye care services in South India. Method: A questionnaire was distributed to 454 patients who had already visited leading eye care hospitals. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were used to test the number of groups. Results: Three cluster groups were identified as: unmarried young students, middle-aged males, and an elderly female group. Managerial implications: Healthcare providers and managers can analyse the quality of service across the various groups through segmentation and clustering so that healthcare services can be provided according to the patients' needs and expectations.