Patient Preference and Adherence (May 2022)

Exploring the Gap Between Patients’ Expectations and Perceptions of Healthcare Service Quality

  • A'aqoulah A,
  • Kuyini AB,
  • Albalas S

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 1295 – 1305

Abstract

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Ashraf A’aqoulah,1,2 Ahmed Bawa Kuyini,3 Samir Albalas4 1Department of Health Systems Management, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Social Work Department, School Global Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; 4Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, JordanCorrespondence: Ashraf A’aqoulah, Department of Health Systems Management, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 11 4295415, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to explore the gap between patients’ expectations of healthcare service quality in ‎Jordanian hospitals against their perceptions of service received using SERVQUAL model.Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. The study data were collected randomly from 415 patients (participants) ‎who completed the SERVEQUAL questionnaire. The data were analyzed using ‎statistical procedures such as descriptive, t-test, and ANOVA.Results: The results showed ‎that there is a gap between mean score of patients’ expectations of what should be available in the ‎hospital and patients’ perceptions of the service received in the hospital. Patients’ expectations were higher than their perceptions on all five SERVQUAL domains (Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy).Conclusion: Hospital managers should take necessary actions to improve healthcare services in their hospitals with respect to all SERVQUAL domains. These actions should be directed to reduce the gap between patients’ expectation and their perceptions in order to provide services meet patients’ needs.Keywords: patients’ expectations, patients’ perceptions, healthcare services quality, hospitals

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