Analyzing Hospital Services Quality Using a Hybrid Approach: Evidence from Information Technology

Hospitals are the most important part of the healthcare system. Statistics show that a significant portion of health budgets are allocated to hospitals. The continuous impact of information technology on hospitals’ performance has led to perfect competition. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the quality indicators of hospital services considering information technology using a hybrid approach of the Kano model, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). In this regard, based on related studies, a total of 18 needs were recognized to evaluate the service quality of a hospital. The statistical population of the study consisted of patients of the hospital and due to the difficulty of access to the patient, a limited sample of 50 patients was selected. After collecting data, the identified needs were classified into three categories called basic, functional, and motivational using the Kano model, and 7 needs were set as basic needs. Then, using the AHP technique, the importance of the basic needs was calculated and considered as the input of the QFD model in the next phase. After providing some solutions based on the literature to meet these 7 needs, solutions were ranked and prioritized using the QFD model. Since the organization had limited resources, the Pareto technique was used to respond to 20% of these strategies and achieve 80% satisfaction. The results of the study showed that the hospitals can achieve 80% satisfaction by implementing the strategies of “holding ethics training courses online” and “creating team spirit and using health information technology in the hospital”, respectively.