The Relationship of National University Hospital Inpatient's Perceived Quality, Satisfaction, and Customer Loyalty

국립대학병원 입원환자가 느끼는 의료서비스 질, 만족도, 고객 충성 도간의 관련성 분석

The purpose of this study is to identify the nature of the inpatient service quality of national university hospital, and based on that, to examine the relationship of hospital inpatient's perceived quality, overall satisfaction, customer loyalty(intention of revisiting, intention of oral transmitting). To carry out these objectives, first we analyzed the dimensions of inpatient care service quality using SERVQUAL scale. The SERVQUAL scale is based on the gap theory, that is, the difference of patients' expectations and the actually received medical care service in hospital. On the basis of this theory, we measured the inpatient's perceived service quality, overall patient satisfaction and customer loyalty. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires at a 809 bed national university hospital. These questionnaires measuring the service quality were distributed to 400 inpatients. The data samples are 347 cases in final. The response rate was 86.8%. Firstly, to categorize inpatient service quality in hospital, the factor analysis was performed on 48 items. The reliability and validity of these items was evaluated. Finally to explore the relationship of service quality, overall satisfaction, and customer loyalty, the multiple regression and logistic regression analysis are used. This study shows firstly, the dimension of inpatient service quality was categorized into 7 dimensions, that is, kindness, medical service, nurse caring, environment, facilities, appropriateness and access. Secondly, the reliability and validity of inpatient service quality items was satisfied. Thirdly, as a result of multiple regression analysis, the effect of inpatient's perceived service quality, especially, nurse caring(P<0.01), environment (P<0.01), facilities, appropriateness and access variables(P<0.05), on overall satisfaction was statistically significant. Lastly, in case of the effect on customer loyalty as a intension of oral transmitting, medical service(P<0.05), environment(P<0.01) and overall satisfaction(P<0.01) are statistically significant. Also, in case of intension of revisiting, medical service, environment, access, and overall satisfaction variables are significant factors. In conclusion, to maintain the satisfaction and customer loyalty on national university hospitals, the efforts to improve the inpatient service quality, especially, environment, medical service, and access factors might be needed.