Evaluating Patients’ Perceptions of Service Quality and Its Impact on Satisfaction in Multispecialty Hospitals: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The study reveals patient satisfaction in multispecialty hospitals in North Indian states, i.e. Punjab and Haryana on the level of service quality. The study employs the Brady and Cronin model to identify the service quality dimensions and suggests enhancements to healthcare delivery systems in order to increase patient satisfaction.

Research Design/Methodology

The study utilized a quantitative cross-sectional survey to examine 460 hospitalized patients from 10 private multispecialty hospitals in Haryana and Punjab. Researchers collected information through a standardized assessment tool that measured interaction quality along with physical environment aspects and outcome quality dimensions. The research team used PLS-SEM for structural equation modeling to measure construct reliability and validity as well as interrelationships between variables.

Findings

The study discovered that service quality demonstrates a substantial influence on patient satisfaction (β = 0.781). The strongest contributor among dimensions emerged from the interaction quality aspect of respectful behavior combined with effective communication. The research showed that cleanliness along with tangible amenities and timely service had significant effects on satisfaction but design aesthetics had minimal importance.  Patients identified emotional and social support as unexpressed but crucial elements that impacted their satisfaction.

Research Implications

The research emphasizes healthcare providers should focus their efforts on delivering empathy with transparent communication and personalized care to boost patient satisfaction levels. Healthcare facilities must train their staff to implement emotional intelligence and integrate culturally responsive approaches for providing successful services.

Limitations

The research restricted itself to North Indian private hospitals while disregarding public healthcare facilities and their contexts.  The study uses only structured surveys to obtain data which requires further exploration through qualitative methods and long-term research.