Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale
Objective: To investigate patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities and propose some measures for improvement. Methods: The ServQual scale method was used in a survey involving patients at out-patient and in-patient facilities in Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, N...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2015-06-01
|
| Series: | Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115000775 |
| _version_ | 1819026594748956672 |
|---|---|
| author | Min Li Douglas Bruce Lowrie Cheng-Yu Huang Xiang-Chan Lu Ying-Chu Zhu Xing-Hua Wu Mayila Shayiti Qiong-Zhen Tan Hua-Ling Yang Si-Yuan Chen Pan Zhao Sheng-Hua He Xiu-Rong Wang Hong-Zhou Lu |
| author_facet | Min Li Douglas Bruce Lowrie Cheng-Yu Huang Xiang-Chan Lu Ying-Chu Zhu Xing-Hua Wu Mayila Shayiti Qiong-Zhen Tan Hua-Ling Yang Si-Yuan Chen Pan Zhao Sheng-Hua He Xiu-Rong Wang Hong-Zhou Lu |
| author_sort | Min Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: To investigate patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities and propose some measures for improvement.
Methods: The ServQual scale method was used in a survey involving patients at out-patient and in-patient facilities in Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanning, Guilin and Laibin of Guangxi, Honghezhou of Yunnan, Wulumuqi of Xinjiang and Zhongshan of Guangdong. The data collected were entered and analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, factor analyses, reliability analyses, product-moment correlations, independent-sample t-tests, One-way ANOVA and regression analyses.
Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value for the factor analysis of the scale was 0.979. The Cronbach's α for the reliability analysis was 0.978. All the Pearson correlation coefficients were positive and statistically significant. Visitors to out-patient facilities reported more positive perception than visitors to in-patient facilities on tangibles (t = 4.168, P < 0.001) and reliability (t = 1.979, P < 0.05). Patients of 60 years of age and above reported more positive perception than those between 40 and 49 on reliability (F = 3.311, P = 0.010), assurances (F = 2.751, P < 0.05) and empathy (F = 4.009, P = 0.003). For the five dimensions of the scale, patients in Laibin, Guangxi reported the most positive perceived service quality, followed by patients in Shanghai. On the other hand, patients in Chongqing and Nanning and Guilin of Guangxi reported relatively poor perceptions of service quality. Standardized regression coefficients showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) positive values for all ServQual dimensions. Empathy (β = 0.267) and reliability (β = 0.239) most strongly predicted perception of service quality.
Conclusions: Chinese patients perceived service quality as satisfactory. Hospitals in various regions of China should enhance their awareness and ability to serve their patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:29:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e586cecc62c34588b05b54764c677139 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2221-1691 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:29:04Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-e586cecc62c34588b05b54764c6771392022-12-21T19:14:35ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsAsian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine2221-16912015-06-015649750410.1016/j.apjtb.2015.02.003Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scaleMin Li0Douglas Bruce Lowrie1Cheng-Yu Huang2Xiang-Chan Lu3Ying-Chu Zhu4Xing-Hua Wu5Mayila Shayiti6Qiong-Zhen Tan7Hua-Ling Yang8Si-Yuan Chen9Pan Zhao10Sheng-Hua He11Xiu-Rong Wang12Hong-Zhou Lu13Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, ChinaShanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, ChinaChongqing Infectious Disease Medical Center, Chongqing, 400036, ChinaThe Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, 530023, ChinaPublic Health Clinical Center of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610066, ChinaInfectious Disease Hospital of Honghezhou of Yunnan Province, Honghezhou, 661400, ChinaThe People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, 830000, ChinaThe People's Hospital of Laibin City the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Laibin, 546100, ChinaAffiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical College, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin, 541000, ChinaChongqing Infectious Disease Medical Center, Chongqing, 400036, ChinaChongqing Infectious Disease Medical Center, Chongqing, 400036, ChinaPublic Health Clinical Center of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610066, ChinaThe Second People's Hospital of Zhongshan City of Guangdong Province, Zhongshan, 528400, ChinaShanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, ChinaObjective: To investigate patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities and propose some measures for improvement. Methods: The ServQual scale method was used in a survey involving patients at out-patient and in-patient facilities in Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanning, Guilin and Laibin of Guangxi, Honghezhou of Yunnan, Wulumuqi of Xinjiang and Zhongshan of Guangdong. The data collected were entered and analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, factor analyses, reliability analyses, product-moment correlations, independent-sample t-tests, One-way ANOVA and regression analyses. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value for the factor analysis of the scale was 0.979. The Cronbach's α for the reliability analysis was 0.978. All the Pearson correlation coefficients were positive and statistically significant. Visitors to out-patient facilities reported more positive perception than visitors to in-patient facilities on tangibles (t = 4.168, P < 0.001) and reliability (t = 1.979, P < 0.05). Patients of 60 years of age and above reported more positive perception than those between 40 and 49 on reliability (F = 3.311, P = 0.010), assurances (F = 2.751, P < 0.05) and empathy (F = 4.009, P = 0.003). For the five dimensions of the scale, patients in Laibin, Guangxi reported the most positive perceived service quality, followed by patients in Shanghai. On the other hand, patients in Chongqing and Nanning and Guilin of Guangxi reported relatively poor perceptions of service quality. Standardized regression coefficients showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) positive values for all ServQual dimensions. Empathy (β = 0.267) and reliability (β = 0.239) most strongly predicted perception of service quality. Conclusions: Chinese patients perceived service quality as satisfactory. Hospitals in various regions of China should enhance their awareness and ability to serve their patients.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115000775ChinaCity hospitalPatientsService qualityEvaluation |
| spellingShingle | Min Li Douglas Bruce Lowrie Cheng-Yu Huang Xiang-Chan Lu Ying-Chu Zhu Xing-Hua Wu Mayila Shayiti Qiong-Zhen Tan Hua-Ling Yang Si-Yuan Chen Pan Zhao Sheng-Hua He Xiu-Rong Wang Hong-Zhou Lu Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine China City hospital Patients Service quality Evaluation |
| title | Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale |
| title_full | Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale |
| title_short | Evaluating patients' perception of service quality at hospitals in nine Chinese cities by use of the ServQual scale |
| title_sort | evaluating patients perception of service quality at hospitals in nine chinese cities by use of the servqual scale |
| topic | China City hospital Patients Service quality Evaluation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115000775 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT minli evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT douglasbrucelowrie evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT chengyuhuang evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT xiangchanlu evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT yingchuzhu evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT xinghuawu evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT mayilashayiti evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT qiongzhentan evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT hualingyang evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT siyuanchen evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT panzhao evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT shenghuahe evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT xiurongwang evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale AT hongzhoulu evaluatingpatientsperceptionofservicequalityathospitalsinninechinesecitiesbyuseoftheservqualscale |