The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between service quality （SQ） and customer satisfaction （CS） in the Malaysian healthcare system. The study is significant due to the environmental pressures...The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between service quality （SQ） and customer satisfaction （CS） in the Malaysian healthcare system. The study is significant due to the environmental pressures such as the demographic changes, the aging of populations, the emergence of new treatments and technologies, and the increased insistence on grater quality of service. A service satisfaction survey was conducted among visitors （either patients or their relatives and friends） that visited hospitals （both public and private） in 10 regions in Malaysia. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed purposively to these visitors, of which 925 questionnaires were returned for further analysis, yielding a response rate of 92.5 percent. The study found that among the eight dimensions of SQ tested, safety measures were not at all significantly related to CS as compared with the other seven dimensions. On a detailed note, the quality satisfaction of customers is very much influenced by infrastructure （0.121）, clinical care （0.601）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.139）. Also as noted, the time satisfaction of customers is influenced by personnel quality （0.102）, administrative procedures （0.562）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.168）. Whilst the cost satisfaction of customers is influenced by administrative procedure （0.101）, corporate image （0.130）, social responsibility （0.315）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.261）. On overall, the findings of this study suggest that trustworthiness and administrative procedures are the two most important factors that influence satisfaction of customers that the Malaysian healthcare industry should take a good care of.展开更多
文摘The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between service quality （SQ） and customer satisfaction （CS） in the Malaysian healthcare system. The study is significant due to the environmental pressures such as the demographic changes, the aging of populations, the emergence of new treatments and technologies, and the increased insistence on grater quality of service. A service satisfaction survey was conducted among visitors （either patients or their relatives and friends） that visited hospitals （both public and private） in 10 regions in Malaysia. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed purposively to these visitors, of which 925 questionnaires were returned for further analysis, yielding a response rate of 92.5 percent. The study found that among the eight dimensions of SQ tested, safety measures were not at all significantly related to CS as compared with the other seven dimensions. On a detailed note, the quality satisfaction of customers is very much influenced by infrastructure （0.121）, clinical care （0.601）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.139）. Also as noted, the time satisfaction of customers is influenced by personnel quality （0.102）, administrative procedures （0.562）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.168）. Whilst the cost satisfaction of customers is influenced by administrative procedure （0.101）, corporate image （0.130）, social responsibility （0.315）, and trustworthiness of the hospitals （0.261）. On overall, the findings of this study suggest that trustworthiness and administrative procedures are the two most important factors that influence satisfaction of customers that the Malaysian healthcare industry should take a good care of.
