Showing 12 results for Service Quality
M Mohammadnia, B Delgoshaei, Sh Tofighi, L Riahi, A Omrani,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (2-2010)
Abstract
Background: However nurses are responsible for patients quality care legally and ethically, in other side, patients have rights to receive appropriate and quality care. The aim of this descriptive study was to explore SERVQUAL dimensions (Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy) of Nursing Service Quality (NSQ) at Tehran Social Security Organization (SSO) Hospitals.
Material and Methods: This study was carried out as an applied, descriptive and cross- sectional study during the summer and autumn of 2009 in Tehran SSO hospitals. Study tool was prepared on the basis of the standard and modified questionnaire of SERVQUAL based on Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry questionnaire (1988) for NSQ and consisted of 4 dimensions which were Reliability, Assurance, Empathy, and Responsiveness. The population for this study included of all inpatients of selected Tehran SSO hospitals who were selected by random sampling (N=200). For accounting Means, Standard Deviations and percents SPSS (ver. 16) have been used.
Result:The total percentage of NSQ was upper middle (66), prescriptively Reliability (74), Assurance (69) and Empathy (64) were the most ones and Responsiveness (58) was the lowest.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that NSQ was in desired degree from patients` perspective in selected hospitals. The health care managers should have been attention to nursing as an important workforce of a hospital for raising the service quality of their organizations .Nurses are main role in quality care improvement and patients satisfaction. So, actions regarding to improve their performance are useful and necessary. Due to lowest score of Responsiveness among nursing staff, we suggest training courses for improving organizational culture on responding and effective communication to achieve high quality performance of all nursing group staff.
J.s Tabrizi , K Gholipour , R Alipour , M Farahbakhsh , M Asghari-Jafarabadi, M Haghaei ,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (3-2014)
Abstract
Objective: This study was aimed to assess Service Quality (SQ) of maternity care from the perception of pregnant women.
Methods and materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 185 pregnant women at the 9th month of pregnancy were selected randomly from 40 health posts and urban health centers in Tabriz, Iran. Service Quality was calculated using: SQ = 10 – (Importance × Performance) based on importance and performance of non-health aspects from the customer’ perspective. Data collection used a researcher-developed questionnaire whose validity and reliability was reviewed and confirmed. Data analyzed using SPSS-17 software. Independent sample T-test and ANOVA were used to investigate relationship between service quality dimensions and categorical variables.
Results: From the customers’ perspective the average service quality score was 7.59 of 10. Service quality aspects of “confidentiality” achieved scores at the level of good quality (≥9) and “support group” (3.48) reached low service quality scores. Also, result indicate housewife assess SQ better than worker (p=0.047) and mother who's have planned pregnancy has had greater SQ score (p=0.022). Although, in the linear regression analysis, job status and planned pregnancy were significantly and independently related to SQ score.
Conclusion: Findings revealed a significant room for quality improvement in most aspects of provided care, particularly support group and safety from the perception of people who received maternity care.
R Baradaran Kazemzadeh , M Sepehri , F Firouzi Jahantigh ,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (3-2014)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Hospital is the largest and most important executive unit of healthcare system therefore, full consideration of how to assess its quality is of particular importance. A question is always raised as how to evaluate the quality of the services. The current study seeks to provide a fuzzy model for assessing the service quality in this healthcare sector.
Material and method: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Zahedan 2012.Via reviewing the related literature, the dimensions and components of service quality assessment were identified. The SERVQUAL questionnaire for hierarchical analyses was designed and the fuzzy AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) model was presented. SPSS v 10.0 and Fuzzy TOPSIS Solver 2013 software were used to analyze data.
Results: The findings indicated that the most important dimension for estimating the quality of healthcare services was empathy. Responsiveness, assurance, and tangible assets were the last important factors. The hospitals were compared using fuzzy AHP. According to the calculations, the ranking of the hospitals based on their performance was as follows: Imam Ali hospital with 31% compared to Social Security hospital with 29% had a better performance in service quality.
Conclusion: The results revealed that hospitals needed to focus more on empathy, expertise and reliability than providing high quality and satisfactory services. By considering their weaknesses, each of these hospitals can enhance service quality and consequently, provide a better service for patients.
Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi, Saeide Alidoost, Amir Bahrami, Mohamad Asghari Jafarabadi,
Volume 13, Issue 4 (3-2015)
Abstract
Background: Given the importance of quality in health care and meeting the needs of patients, it seems important to measure the quality of services and identify the weaknesses from the patients' perspective. The purpose of this study is to assess the service quality (SQ) of care as perceived by people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 people with Type 2 diabetes in diabetes clinic using convenience sampling method in Tabriz, Iran in 2012. Service quality was calculated using: SQ=10 – (Importance ×Performance) based on importance and performance of non-health aspects from the patients' perspective. Validity and reliability of questionnaire was reviewed and confirmed. Independent sample T-test and ANOVA were used
to investigate relationship between service quality and categorical variables. Data analyzed bySPSS13 software.
Results: The average service quality score was 8.17 of 10. From the participants' perspective, of 12 aspects of service quality, communication and prevention had the highest score for importance. Dignity had the highest score for performance. However, the highest service quality values were for continuity of care, dignity and confidentiality.
Conclusion: overall service quality achieved inadequate quality and there is an opportunity to improve quality of care.
Hana Hasani, Rafat Mohebifar, Amene Barikani,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (6-2015)
Abstract
Background: understanding the patient expectations and perceptions of service quality is one of the requirements for improving quality of health services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the gap between patient’s expectations and perceptions in five dimensions of service quality in hospitals affiliated with Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.
Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 298 patients at hospitals affiliated with Qazvin University of Medical Sciences; it is designed to evaluate the quality of health services based on client’s expectations and perceptions and to determine the strengths and weaknesses of service quality. Data collection was performed by standardized SERVQUAL questionnaire to measure quality of services . the reliability and validity of this questionnaire has previously been confirmed by studies in Iran and other countries. Data analysis was done using SPSS software was performed.
Results: The results showed that there was significant correlation between patients’ expectations and perceptions in all dimensions of quality (p<0.05). The Reliability (2.36) and Assurance (2.24) dimensions have the most and responsiveness dimension (1.98) has the lowest gap. Also (A) and (D) hospitals have the most gap and (C) hospital has the lowest.
Conclusion: The negative gap (expectations more than perceptions) in all dimensions of quality showed that it is necessary to improve service quality in all dimensions. in order to reduce the gap of all five dimensions of quality and provide desired services, it is recommended that hospital managers by planning and their optimal management take the patients’ needs into account.
Sajad Shokohyar, Hassan Kavyani,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (8-2015)
Abstract
Background: in recent decades, Medical Tourism Industry has been mentioned by local countries because of its benefits such as high profits, more jobs creation and other benefits. High medical services quality is one of the most important factors developing this industry in health care centers. Therefore, concerning this issue this study assesses the provided medical services quality to the foreign patients by Medical Tourism Centers in Tehran city.
Materials and Methods: This study was an applicable and descriptive in term of purpose and nature repectively. This study conducted to assess provided services quality by Medical Tourism Centers evaluating 154 impatient foreign patients using SERVQUAL approach in ten swlwcted hospitals during March to April in 2014. Graded Integration method and terms of fuzzy set were performed considering complexcity and ambiguity in conceptualizing and weighting dimensions and indices.
Results: there was a negative gap and dissatisfaction in all dimensions and indices among foreign patients in the significant level p<0.05 except physicions and profession medical staff.
Conclusion: Considering the moderate situation of physicians and profession medical staff, modern medical facilities and equipment and appropriate medical costs comparing to services are the main factors of Medical Tourism Industry development, it is possible to enlarge Iran’s bazar portion of Medical Tourism Industry.
Mohammad Rahim Ramezanian, Hamed Gheibdoust,
Volume 15, Issue 4 (1-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: High quality health care service leads us towards a healthy society. Present paper aimed to use the service quality concept in health care sector based on service quality approach (SERVQUAL) in public hospitals. Methods: In present research a hybrid approach based on Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Fuzzy TOPSIS was used where the former was used for prioritization of healthcare service quality measures and the latter was used to operationalize the hospitals. Questionnaires and ANP and Fuzzy TOPSIS were used for data collection and analysis. Five public hospitals in Rash were evaluated. The time period of the study including data collection was 2014-2015. Results: The service quality criteria comprised of 6 main criteria and 19 sub-criteria in present study. Among five hospitals studied in present research, Rasoul Akram hospital obtained the first rank and other hospitals obtained the other ranks. All criteria and sub-criteria used in present study obtained some rank indicating their importance in the research context. Conclusions: With conducting present research, various criteria and sub-criteria related to service quality (SERVQAL) and their importance were identified and this may contribute to improved performance of health care services
Morteza Maleki, Amin Kohyari Haghighat, Ali Kohyari Haghighat,
Volume 15, Issue 4 (1-2017)
Abstract
Background: The growing importance of hospitals in physical and mental health improvement has led to focus on improving service quality; and hospitals have considered it as a major competitive advantage. This study aimed at investigating the role of improving services quality on hospital brand preference in healthcare industry.
Materials and Methods: This applied study was a descriptive one. A sample of 394 patients selected using stratified and convenient sampling from hospitals of Shiraz city. Data gathering using questionnaire; in order to data analysis, LISREL8.80 and SPSS19 were utilized using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques. Data analysis was used to confirm the relationships between variables.
Results: Study results indicated that there was a significant positive effect of service quality on patient satisfaction, patient loyalty and brand equity of hospital. Patient satisfaction had positive effect on patient loyalty to the hospital and the loyalty had significant effect on hospital’s brand equity. Finally, the effect of hospital brand equity was confirmed on hospital brand preference.
Conclusion: According to the study results, it can be suggested that hospitals management take some measures for service quality improvement which can be enhanced hospital brand preference among other hospitals, both spreading justly public health in all layers of society as well as increasing profitability.
Keywords: Service quality, Brand Preference, Hospital
Dr Ebrahim Jaafaripooyan, Tahere Sharifi, Dr Sara Emamgholi Poor, Dr Mir Saeed Yekani Nejad, Samaneh Esmaeili,
Volume 17, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Background: Hospital accreditation is assumed as an effective control mechanism for health systems to improve quality and efficiency. Current study thus, seeks to look into the relationship between hospitals’ accreditation and efficiency
Materials and Methods: In order to measure efficiency, hospital inputs and outputs included the ratio of physician and nurse to bed, mortality and nosocomial infection rate and quality of inpatientservices were used. A sample of 554 hospitalized patients selected using stratified random sampling
method. Data gathering instruments were researcher-developed questionnaire and checklists. DEAP and SPSS software deployed to assess correlation between accreditation rank and technical efficiency
Results: Average hospitals’ technical efficiency score was 0.94 indicating an improvement capacityof %5.1 for hospitals efficiency. The mean quality score was 4.13 out of 5( in the range of 3.9-4.3)There was no correlation between hospitals accreditation rank and their technical efficiency
Conclusion: According to the results, it seems efficiency should be also considered in accreditationmetrics. In addition, for measuring efficiency, performance based inputs and specifically outputs tohave reliable results should be chosen
Somayeh Fadaei, Mostafa Kazemi, Fateme Nezhad Shokoohi,
Volume 19, Issue 1 (4-2020)
Abstract
Background: Assessing and improving the quality of services in hospitals because deal with the health of humans is very important. The purpose of this study is to identify and weigh quality criteria and ranking of four hospitals in Mashhad.
Materials & Methods: The present study is of type Applied Studies that is a cross-sectional study conducted in the winter of 1396. In this study, by literature review, dimensions of service quality in the hospital was identified. Then, a paired comparison questionnaire (including 8 people) was used to conduct the survey. Then coefficients of importance of each dimension were calculated through the process of hierarchical analysis in a fuzzy environment. Decision-making matrix questionnaire was completed by a 400-person sample of patient companions in four hospitals.Then, hospitals were ranked using GRA-TOPSIS method. The validity of questionnaires were confirmed by the expert group.
Results:Using FAHP, knowledge and skills of medicine obtained the most important coefficient. Also, using GRA-TOPSIS, third hospital received the fourth place in the provision of services. Also in the third hospital the quality of access requires the greatest improvement.
Conclusion: In addition to ranking hospitals based on quality of service criteria, the GRA-TOPSIS method is able to identify each hospital's weaknesses in each criterion. As a result, the priorities for improving the quality of service in each hospital were identified, and the hospital manager could work to improve performance on the criteria that he or she achieved with lower performance than other hospitals.
Bahareh Hashemi Moghaddam, Mohammad Reza Karimi Alavije, Najima Sadat Kianoosh Fard, Shahin Ebrahimbabaei,
Volume 20, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
Introduction: The concept of patient satisfaction has become very important in the field of healthcare and the major part of this satisfaction is affected by the quality and variety of hospital hotel services.
The main purpose of this study is to analyzing the effect of quality of non-medical services (hoteling) of hospitals on satisfaction considering the mediating role of satisfaction with health services in Shahid Fayyaz Bakhsh, Shahid Hasheminejad and Masih Daneshvari hospitals.
Method: The type of this study is of applied and descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of this study included 48043 recipients of services in the mentioned hospitals. The sampling method is simple relative random judgment and Krejcie and Morgan table was used to determine the sample size. information collected through a researcher-made questionnaire. In order to analyze the data and test the hypotheses from descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS22 software and also to check the model fit and confirmatory factor analysis from Lee software. Shannon entropy method was used to measure the importance and weight of the studied variables.
Results: The weight and priority of each of the research variables implied that the views of service recipients in the field of non-medical services of hospitals, services during treatment, cleaning services, welfare services, human resources, buildings and facilities, and patient nutrition were respectively high to low priorities.
Conclusion: Recipients satisfaction of non-medical services was average. Establishing partnership management system and determining their medical priorities and needs might increase their satisfaction .
Raziyeh Montazeralfaraj, Sajjad Bahariniya, Sara Jambarsang, Fatemeh Sadat Hashemi,
Volume 21, Issue 4 (1-2023)
Abstract
Introduction and purpose: The main mission of hospitals is to provide quality services for patients. Evaluating the quality of hospital services can lead to the targeted allocation of financial resources to areas that are in worse situation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the quality of services of university hospitals in Yazd province.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2020-2021 in 12 university hospitals of Yazd province. In order to conduct the study, the standard questionnaire of SERVQUAL was used. This questionnaire is made up of two parts, administration and expectations, and each of them contains 28 questions and 6 dimensions. The sampling method was stratified randomly. Data analysis was done in SPSS version 24 software.
Results: 225 patients participated in the study. The majority of patients were over 50 years old (46.7%). The average score of patients' expectations (128.99±8.12) at the high level, the average score of patients' perceptions (107.98±8.62) at the middle level, and the average score of the total quality of hospital services (236.97±12.24) at the high level reported. In both areas of perceptions and expectations, the dimensions of reliability, responsiveness and assurance had a higher mean score and the physical or tangible dimensions, empathy and access had a lower mean score.
Conclusion: The service quality of university hospitals in Yazd province was in a good condition, but the average score of perceptions was lower than the score of expectations. Although there was no deep gap, it is necessary for hospital managers to pay more attention to improving the quality of services.
