Servqual method– A tool for quality assurance in health care

Abstract

Ensuring high-quality service delivery in the healthcare industry is crucial for both overall organizational success and patient satisfaction. However, numerous gaps often exist between patient expectations and perceptions of service quality, necessitating effective tools for assessment and improvement. The SERVQUAL method emerges as a valuable tool for quality assurance in healthcare, addressing these gaps through its comprehensive framework. SERVQUAL encompasses five key domains: reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness.When SERVQUAL is used in the healthcare industry, these domains are evaluated using a variety of approaches, such as focus groups discussions, interviews, and surveys. Healthcare organizations can customize interventions to enhance service quality and patient satisfaction by finding gaps between patient expectations and actual service delivery. The intricacy of patient-provider interactions and cultural diversity present challenges for SERVQUAL implementation in the healthcare industry, emphasizing the necessity for nuanced methods.Despite these challenges, SERVQUAL remains a valuable tool for enhancing quality assurance in healthcare, promoting a patient-centered approach to service delivery. Through its methodical assessment of service quality along several dimensions, it helps healthcare organizations to focus on important areas for development, which eventually improves patient outcomes and experiences.