Evaluation of the Quality of Hospital Services from Patients' Perspective Based on SERVQUAL Model in a Selected Teaching Hospital in Kerman: A Case Study

Evaluation of the quality of hospitals services is very valuable. The results of evaluations can be useful to healthcare providers and patients by identifying the gap between the current and the desired status. SERVQUAL model is one of the methods for assessing the quality of health care services. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of services in a selected teaching hospital in Kerman city, from the perspective of patients. This descriptive-analytic study was conducted in a cross-sectional manner from October to March 2017 in a selected teaching hospital in Kerman. The study population included 83 patients with a history of hospitalization who were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a SERVQUAL model. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation, independent t-test, and ANOVA by SPSS version 22. The average age of patients was 43.78±12.43 years. The quality of hospital services was improved compared to previous years. The highest and the lowest mean were related to "Tangibles" (4.04±0.58) and "Empathy" (3.84±0.46), respectively. There was a significant relationship between service quality and gender (P=0.01) and educational level (P<0.001).  Healthcare managers should use the results of such studies to plan and allocate optimal hospital resources and increase the quality of their services. Should improve the level of patients' satisfaction by directing resources towards areas affecting patients' perception and experience.