Evaluation of healthcare service quality via Servqual scale: An application on a hospital

Measuring and evaluating the satisfaction level of the individuals who benefit from healthcare services is very important and may assist improving healthcare service quality. Managers and researchers must know the details of healthcare service quality dimensions weak points, and to which degree the weaknesses extend for that institution. The Servqual scale is commonly used in the healthcare service quality assessment. This study aims to measure/evaluate ongoing healthcare service quality and patients satisfaction via Servqual scale with respect to outpatients' view. In this study, a survey based on the Servqual scale is implemented on a hospital in Zonguldak/Turkey, for evaluating perceived and expected healthcare service quality. According to the results, healthcare service quality of the Servqual scale dimension grades differs from each other in at least two dimensions out of five. Tangibles, one of the Servqual dimension is measured as the highest. Results suggest that patients demographically differentiate healthcare service quality in terms of age, income, and service type, but not for gender, marital status, educational level, and profession. Moreover, reliability is observed as the most determinant dimension for outpatients' satisfaction.