Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction in Healthcare Services
Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction in Healthcare Services
Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction in Healthcare Services
Umar Asif
Abstract
Purpose– To measure the quality of health care services patient satisfaction is used
as one of the most important indicators. The study aims to identify factors affecting
patient’s satisfaction at primary health care clinics.
Findings– The majority (87 percent) of the patients responded that the independent
variables are the factors influencing customer satisfaction.
Health plays the key role in determining the human capital. Better healthimproves
the efficiency and the productivity of the labour force, ultimatelycontributes the
economic growth and leads to human welfare. To attain better,more skilful,
efficient and productive human capital resources, governmentssubsidise the health
care facilities for its people. In this regard, the public sectorpays whole or some
part of the cost of utilising health care services. The sizeand distribution of these
in-kind transfers to health sector differs from country tocountry but the
fundamental question is how much these expenditures areproductive and effective?
It very much depends on the volume and thedistribution of
these expenditures among the people of different areas of thecountry. Besides the
nature of the existing circumstances of the human resource,any marginal change in
public sector spending on health services may havepositive impact on the human
capital and economic growth.
Pakistan Health care takes care of 161 million lives of the Pakistani nationals.
Viewing the health in Pakistan, the Pakistan Health Ministry has formulated
certain policies to improve it. The Pakistan hospitals not only serve the ailing with
the basic health facilities but also provide primary and secondary education on
health care. There are 947 hospitals in Pakistan giving a good portion of budget on
Healthcare services.
Literature Review:
Patient safety, which has been defined as freedom from accidental injury
duringmedical care or from medical errors has become a critical topic in medicine
(Kohn et al.,1999). The desire to avoid harm has existed as a concern in medicine
since the fourthcentury BC when Hippocrates the Father of Medicine admonished
medicalprofessionals to do no harm (Hippocrates, 2004). The healthcare industry is
fraughtwith dangers for both patients and employees (Yassi and Hancock, 2005).
Thesedangers are linked directly to the environment and culture that surrounds
medicalprofessionals and patients with their distinctive norms, values and shared
beliefs(Stone et al., 2004). Although medical professionals have for years sought to
improvequality by standardizing good processes, it is not enough to just design
better ways tocontrol errors. The organizational
climate must also encourage information sharingand support safety (Hofmann and
Mark, 2006).
At present, the U.S. healthcare system is of vital interest to the nation’s economy
and government policy (spending). The U.S. healthcare system is characterized as
the world’s most expensive yet least effective as compared to other nations.
Growing healthcare costs have made millions of citizens vulnerable. Major drivers
of the healthcare costs are institutionalized medical practices and reimbursement
policies, technology induced costs and consumer behavior(Examining Quality and
Efficiency of
the U.S. Healthcare System By Sameer Kumar1, Neha S. Ghildayal2 and Ronak N.
Shah3 ).
The majority (87 percent) of the patients responded that the time for
communication between physician and patient was not enough. Seventy- nine-
percent of the surveyed patients said they would go to the emergency room of the
hospital in future if needed instead of going to the primary care clinic. Regarding
the quality of the communication relationship between physician and patients
most of the patients responded negatively. Exploratory factor analysis identified
six factors and reliability of overall scale was found to be 0.61(Factors
influencing patient satisfaction in primary healthcareclinics in Kuwait Abdul
MajeedAlhashem, HabibAlquraini andRafiqul I. Chowdhury).
Methodology:
Sample
The study population consisted of the patients who came for services to the
primaryhealth care centers covering all health regions in Pakistan. Patients were
randomly selected a size of 125. Out of 125 Questionnaires 100 were returned with
a respondents of 80 percent. In keeping with thestandard research protocol,
necessary permission was obtained from the concernedauthorities of the Ministry
of Health for data collection.
Instrument
Statistical analysis
Descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) were
usedto describe the data. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify
theunderlying factors and Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure the internal
consistencyof the scale and subscales.
Purpose– To measure the quality of health care services patient satisfaction is used
as one of the most important indicators. The study aims to identify factors affecting
patient’s satisfaction at primary health care clinics.
Dependent Independent
Variable Variable
Satisfied
Quality Control
Customers
Availability of
Medicines & other
suport staff
Patient Safety
Caring Staff
H2
H1
Avalability of
H3 H4 Medicines &
Caring Staff other suport
Dependent staff
variable
H5
Governmental
Restrictions
Quality Control:
Quality Control is one of the most important factor consider by patients to there
satisfaction level in health care. The Results observed from questionnaires
suggested that quality control will play a vital role in Customer satisfaction for
health care services in Pakistan. Thus we can Hypothes it as H1.
Patient Safety:
A key positive patient safety climate dimension is managerial support and its
ability todirect staff to formulate proper strategic plans and priorities.
Organizational climate islinked to managerial behaviours (Schneider et al., 1998).
Managerial and physiciansupport play significant roles in the success of any
patient safety activity, as eachdirect a portion of the organization and care
provision (Cooper, 2000).
Involvingmanagers and physicians is especially critical because they are
ultimately responsiblefor hospital policy and decisions that affect the whole
organization (Nieva and Sorra,
2003).
H2: Significant relation ship between independent variable patient safety and
dependent variable Customer Satisfaction.
Caring Staff:
If a Health care service station like hospital has proper equipment and required
medicines which is needed for the treatment of special cases like cancer is
available then it will be playing most important role in patient satisfaction. Thus
a Hypothesis can be developed.
Governmental Restrictions:
Findings
Statistics
Do Will
Pakistan Discoun
Which
health care ts
Hospital
industry you influenc
Preffer?
needs a e
research? custome
r
satisfactio
n?
N Valid 100 100 100
Missin 1 1 1
g
95%
37%
Cumula
tive
Frequen Percen Valid Percen
cy t Percent t
Valid Yes 75 74.3 75.0 75.0
No 25 24.8 25.0 100.0
Total 100 99.0 100.0
Missi System 1 1.0
ng
Total 101 100.0
74%
25%
Statistics
24%
30%
20%
26%
18%
30%
15%
24%
34%
17%
28%
30%
13%
95
H3: Majority of test samples suggest Caring staff is a key towards
customer satisfaction.
37% 29%
12%
H4: Its tested majority of people agree medicines and support stuff
leads towards customer satisfaction.
Cumula
tive
Freque Perce Valid Percen
ncy nt Percent t
Valid Rs. 47 46.5 47.0 47.0
200
Rs. 26 25.7 26.0 73.0
400
Rs. 20 19.8 20.0 93.0
600
Rs. 7 6.9 7.0 100.0
800
Total 100 99.0 100.0
Missin Syste 1 1.0
g m
Tot 101 100.0
al
7%
20%
47%
26%
Majority of customers in health care services are willing to pay less in health
care services.
Crosstabs:
&suport stuff
customer
100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
satisfaction?
Will Discounts
influence customer 100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
satisfaction? *
Which Hospital
you Preffer? 100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
Will Discounts
influence customer 100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
satisfaction? * Will
Quality control
100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
influence customer
satisfaction?
Will Discounts 100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
influence customer
satisfaction? * Will
patient safety
influence customer
satisfaction?
Will Discounts
influence customer
satisfaction? * Will
Caring staff
influence customer
satisfaction?
Will Discounts
influence customer
satisfaction? * Will
Medicines &suport
stuff customer
satisfaction?
How much Doctor's
Fee you can afford?
* Which Hospital
you Preffer?
How much Doctor's
Fee you can afford?
* Will Quality
control influence
customer
satisfaction?
How much Doctor's
Fee you can afford?
* Will patient
safety influence
customer
satisfaction?
How much Doctor's
Fee you can afford?
100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
* Will Caring staff
influence customer
satisfaction?
How much Doctor's
Fee you can afford? 100 99.0% 1 1.0% 101 100.0%
* Will Medicines
&suport stuff
customer
satisfaction?
Crosstabs been taken of all the questions which were used in questioners. They
were matched by the dependent variable and independent variables. Below is the
Detailed report of all the crosstabs.
Count
Which Hospital you Preffer?
Crosstabulation
Which Hospital you Preffer?
Total 61 39 100
This study has demonstrated the relationship between satisfaction and specific
Independent variables. The subject is important enough to recommend that
theMinistry of Health conduct patient satisfaction studies on a regular basis. This
practicewill identify areas of dissatisfaction that can quickly be remedied and
ensureenhancement in satisfaction. More studies should be conducted in the
primary caresetting to reexamine those variables examined in the current study
which have notproven to be significant and to validate the significant relationship
found in this study.Before using patients’ satisfaction questionnaire which was
developed for differentcultural settings one should validate it in local context to
measure the patientsatisfaction.
This Research showed me Some Factors which were backed by the samples results
showing they will influence them towards customer satisfaction. Hence this report
is accepted. Independent Variables are the factors which will influence customer
satisfaction.
References