Assessing the quality of healthcare services: A SERVQUAL approach

Today's dynamic marketing environment encompasses a world of stiff competition and sophisticated demand, hence quality is a pre requisite for survival. In case of services, quality is an issue of prime importance and its measurement is imperative. The primary objective being to gain a competitive advantage, by improving the perceived service quality. This study primarily attempts to assess the multifarious service quality dimensions associated with healthcare services. An effort has been made for prioritizing various service-quality dimensions and further hierarchically arrange the constituents of the service quality dimensions. Thereafter Gap Analysis has been performed to measure quality (of services delivered) at large and identify specific areas where the gap exists so that it can be plugged. The study concludes with the recommendation of certain steps that can be implemented by managers of health care facilities in order to fulfill customer expectations, inculcate a feeling of trust in them and improve their perception of the quality of service being delivered.