Assessing patient satisfaction with the quality of healthcare service in public hospitals. Evidence of a country with a primarily public healthcare system

Introduction: Patient assessment of service quality is a very important component in evaluating the quality of healthcare services in a medical center. This study aims to identify and assess the factors that affect overall patient satisfaction with healthcare quality provided by medical centers in Albania. Method: The study used empirical research to identify previously validated scales of service quality evaluation. From March to June 2022, 300 hospitalized patients participated in the study. The most relevant factors influencing patient satisfaction variation are identified using multiple regression and factor analysis. A structured questionnaire was used as a tool for assessing healthcare quality. Results: There is a statistically significant relationship between patient education level (F-4;247 = 2.990, Sig = 0.02) and income level (F-3;247 = 2.259 and Sig = 0.042,) with overall patient satisfaction. Four of the five quality dimensions demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with overall satisfaction, explaining 60.5% (R-2 =.605) of the variation values of patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was significantly impacted by Tangibles (beta=.291, Sig=.000), Reliability (beta=.212, Sig=.003); Assurance (beta=.253, Sig=.000); Empathy (beta=.141, Sig=.018), while Responsiveness did not influence patient satisfaction (beta=.028, Sig=.674). Conclusions: The study proposes a validated conceptual model for the health sector detailing the relationships between the factors that influence patient satisfaction with the quality of medical healthcare services in the Albanian context. The findings have important implications for decision-makers in health care institutions in their continuous effort to improve healthcare services quality.