Service quality in public and private hospitals: A comparative study on patient satisfaction

Abstract

ABSTRACTPerceptions of quality of care from the lenses of patients accessing healthcare from healthcare delivery facilities are now considered to be very crucial in the health industry. This report presents the conclusions drawn from the study conducted into assessment of quality of healthcare service delivery in healthcare facilities in Ghana. The study sought to draw dichotomies in the quality of healthcare provision in public and private healthcare facilities with regards to level of care, attention and satisfaction received by patients at healthcare facilities. Also, the constraints of healthcare providers and the premium placed on customer service in their operations were examined in the study. A mixed approach was adopted to elicit responses from 400 patients of 30 hospitals using questionnaire. The study adopted the SERVQUAL instrument to measure the five dimensions of service quality. Cross tabulation, Gap analysis and independent t-test were employed to analyze and interpret the data. Findings of the study indicate that there is higher level of care and attention at private healthcare facilities than the public. It is recommended that there should be a strong collaboration between relevant partners to enhance service quality in the provision of healthcare in Ghana.