Inpatient’s Satisfaction of Healthcare Services in the UAE Hospitals Using SERVQUAL Dimensions

Abstract

Patient satisfaction is an effective sign for measuring service quality, hence is a crucial consideration in any quality improvement effort aimed at sustaining high standards of services in hospitals. Vital as it is, there appear to be a dearth of studies on patient satisfaction in the local context and these studies show mixed results. Based on these premises, this study assessed the level of satisfaction of inpatients in hospitals in Abu Dhabi with the end view of correlating the satisfaction of inpatients with perceived service quality and hospital care factors. The study further compared the satisfaction of inpatients with the service quality between private and public hospitals and determined the attributes of inpatients that influenced their satisfaction with the perceived service quality of these hospitals. The researcher used the quantitative method of research and a modified SERVQUAL instrument to gather the research data. The modified questionnaire was pre-tested and the computed reliability coefficient was .944 indicating that it is very reliable for use. A total of 509 inpatients participated in the study. The outcome of the study discovered that the inpatients were generally satisfied with the services rendered by the hospitals in Abu Dhabi. Based on the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL, responsiveness garnered the lowest mean compared to tangibles, reliability, empathy, and assurance. The study found a positive correlation between the satisfaction of inpatients with service quality and hospital care factors. Furthermore, the results revealed that the satisfaction of inpatients with service quality and hospital care factors significantly differed according to the type of hospital and the gender, age, and nationality of the inpatients. Seen in the light of the overall satisfaction of the inpatients, the type of hospital and the gender, age, nationality, and education of inpatients all significantly influenced their satisfaction with the quality of services afforded in the hospital in Abu Dhabi.