A study of patients’ expectations and satisfaction in Singapore hospitals
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 1 December 2000
Abstract
In today’s highly competitive healthcare environment, hospitals increasingly realise the need to focus on service quality as a means to improve their competitive position. Customer‐based determinants and perceptions of service quality therefore play an important role when choosing a hospital. This paper attempts to determine the expectations and perceptions of patients through the use of a generic, internationally used market research technique called SERVQUAL. An analysis covering 252 patients revealed that there was an overall service quality gap between patients’ expectations and perceptions. Thus, improvements are required across all the six dimensions, namely, tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and accessibility and affordability.
Keywords
Citation
Cheng Lim, P. and Tang, N.K.H. (2000), "A study of patients’ expectations and satisfaction in Singapore hospitals", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 13 No. 7, pp. 290-299. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526860010378735
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited