• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.45-69
• /
• 2004

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.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.123-151
• /
• 2002

The objective of this study is to analyze the causal relationship of hospital inpatient's perceived quality, overall satisfaction, service value, and future intention to revisit. To carry out this objective, 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 and overall patient satisfaction. Data was gathered from a self-administered questionnaire at a 980 bed university hospital in Inchon City. These questionnaire measuring the service quality were distributed to 250 inpatients. The response rate was 66.4%. A total of 166 questionnaires was finally analyzed. To categorize medical service quality, the factor analysis was performed on 42 items. The reliability and validity of these items was evaluated. Finally to test 6 hypotheses, we analyzed the causal relationship of service quality, overall satisfaction, service value, and intention to revisit through the structural equation modeling(SEM). The major results of this study are as follows. First, the dimension of inpatient service quality was categorized into 7 dimensions, that is, personal caring, communication, access, physical environment, facilities and equipment, cleanliness, appropriateness and health status. Second, the reliability and validity of inpatient service quality items was satisfied. Third, as a result of structural equation modeling, the effect of inpatient's perceived service quality on overall satisfaction, service value, and intention to revisit was statistically significant. And total effect on intention to revisit as the core endogenous variable was perceived service quality(1.100), patient satisfaction(0.006), and service value(0.605).

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.44-68
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study is to identify which factors of medical service quality were considered important by patients based on survey on eight hospitals located in Seoul. We analyzed the difference in impact of health service quality factors between the two groups with short and long inpatient days. In addition, we analyzed which service factors affected the customer satisfaction more differently across the inpatient groups. We found that patient satisfaction was not different between the two groups with short and long inpatient days. But the two groups showed different priority orders of medical service factors that affect patient satisfaction. In the group with long inpatient days, the order of medical service factors are cleanness, speciality, process. In the group with short stay, important factors are speciality, cleanness and convenience of facilities. These findings imply that hospitals should set up different marketing strategies across the different inpatients groups.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3094-3101
• /
• 2012

This study provides fundamental data in order to obtain improved medical services and competitiveness by analyzing the satisfaction level of patients receiving inpatient services at general hospitals. Data from self-administered surveys distributed to inpatient subjects at local general hospitals was collected from 09/19/2011 to 09/30/2011. Firstly, the results of 320 surveys show that the average level of satisfaction from inpatient services was 3.25 (maximum 4.0). Secondly, the results from general characteristics and satisfaction from medical care provider services showed that there is a statistical significance regarding medical treatment, health condition, the number of times admitted to the hospital, and hospital environment including hospital admittance/release proceeders. Also the satisfaction with other services is statistically significant with regards to age, medical treatment, health condition, and the number of times admitted to the hospital. Thirdly, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between inpatient services and levels of satisfaction. Finally, from the analysis of factors influencing inpatient satisfaction showed that physician services and other services significantly affect satisfaction. In conclusion, in order to increase inpatient levels of satisfaction the workforce involved medical treatment of patients need to be retained and a variety of programs need to be in operation that will satisfy patients while they stay in the hospital. Further research is expected.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.535-545
• /
• 2005

Purpose: This paper reports a study exploring factors related to patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with inpatient care. Method: A cross-sectional study design was used, employing data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted in 2001. Socio-demographic factors, utilization, self-rated health status, and disease characteristics were assessed by employing univariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Result: Out of 37,769 respondents, 1,043 aged 20 years and over had been admitted to a hospital or clinic at least once during the past year. About a quarter of the respondents were discharged from tertiary hospitals and $21\%$ from clinics. The majority of patients ($58\%$) were satisfied with inpatient care received, whereas $11\%$ were dissatisfied. Greater satisfaction was found in patients aged 45-64 years and those having formal education, discharge from tertiary hospitals, national health insurance as a payer, medical expenses not being burdensome, good self-rated health status, and neoplasm. Living in non-metropolitan urban areas, shorter length of stay, and musculoskeletal diseases were associated with greater dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Different factors were related to patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with care. Those factors need to be taken into account when evaluating and comparing satisfaction levels between health care institutions.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.77-87
• /
• 2009

The main aim of the paper is to provide an empirical analysis on patient satisfaction as an indicator of service quality in Malaysian public hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to patients by convenience sampling. Two sets of questionnaires were used, one for inpatient and another one set for outpatient. Selection of hospitals was made according to states in Peninsular Malaysia. 23 hospitals covering all state level hospitals, the National Referral Centre and selected district hospitals were chosen as respondent hospitals. Two dimensions of service quality emerged, namely clinical and physical dimension of service. Both outpatient and inpatient were found to be more satisfied with clinical dimension of service than physical dimension. For outpatient satisfaction, there was positive correlation between waiting time and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was also found to be higher in the smaller district hospitals than in the larger state hospitals. For clinical dimension of service, patients were satisfied with the services of doctors and nurses, while for physical dimension of service, patients were satisfied with the cleanliness of the facilities. The ability of the research to be conducted by random sampling was inhibited by the reluctance of patients to cooperate, which led to the use of convenience sampling. Studies have also shown that patients are reluctant to express their feelings on services provided by their caregivers. The study provides primary data for a nationwide study on patient satisfaction in Malaysian public hospitals, for both inpatient and outpatient.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.180-188
• /
• 2000

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of questionnaire according to item arrangement on patient satisfaction questionnaire. Methods : We developed the two types of questionnaire with different item arrangement. In the first type (A), questions were arranged according to medical service dimensions. Questions in the second type (B) were arranged according to medical process. Both questionnaires were composed of six dimensions: physical environments, process, competence, courtesy, information giving, understanding patients. Measurements were performed on a 5-score Likert scale. In an outpatients and inpatient survey, total 777 patients answered the type A (outpatients: 257, inpatients: 128) or Type B (outpatients: 257, inpatients: 135). In order to compare the internal consistency of two types. Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ were calculated. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to know which type of questionnaire explain more of the overall satisfaction. Results : In outpatient survey, type A questionnaire showed higher internal consistency than B except physical environments dimension. Also in inpatient survey, type A had higer internal consistency than B in four dimensions(process, competence, courtesy, understanding patients). In the results of multiple regression analysis, type A questionnaire ($R^2$=0.53) explained more of the variation in overall satisfaction then B questionnaire ($R^2$=0.43) in outpatient survey. In inpatient survey, type B questionnaire ($R^2$=0.40) explained, more of the variation in overall satisfaction than type A questionnaire ($R^2$=0.33).But the difference of R was not significant in inpatient survey. Conclusion : The results of this study support that type A questionnaire has higer reliability in assessment of consumer satisfaction than type B.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 2008

The measurement and management of patient satisfaction has become one of the key issues in the last two decades. Hospitals must thoroughly understand the needs of their customers and design products and health services that meet and exceed their expectations. The importance-performance analysis(IPA) is a widely used analytical technique that yields strategies for managing customer satisfaction in a variety of applications. IP A is a two-dimensional grid based on customer-perceived importance of quality attributes and attribute performance. Depending on the interplay of these two dimensions, four strategies can be derived. The aim of this study is to develop the management strategies for improving patient satisfaction in university hospitals using the I-P analysis. The attributes on inpatient service quality in 4 university hospitals was investigated using the Martilla and James(l977)' s a mean adjusted I-P grid where the axes of the grid cross at the average rating point of all items. The patient satisfaction questionnaires were completed by 600 hospital inpatients. The main statistical methods are path analysis and IPA with SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 4.0 statistical softwares. The two attributes, physician and medical service, administrative staff kindness attributes position in first quadrant(Keep Up the Good domain). The nurse and nursing service attributes position in second quadrant(Possible Overkill domain). The two attributes, convenience of check-in service, facilities and physical environment position in third quadrant(Low Priority domain). Finally the quality of inpatient service(food etc.) attributes position in fourth quadrant(Concentrate Here domain). These findings show various implications on the development of strategies in university hospitals in the future. It was determined that quality of inpatient service(food etc.) need to concentrate more on investments. These investments include a taste, price, proper provision of food service and quick response of pain management. A low priority was given to investment in streamlining the check-in process of inpatient and hospital facilities and physical environment in the long run.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.23-50
• /
• 2005

The main objectives of this study are to compare the regional differences and to analyse the affecting factors of customer satisfaction. The subjects are 9 hospitals(5 Daegu region, 4 Seoul region) patient satisfaction index that were surveyed the 2004 Hospital Accreditation Program performed by KHIDI(Korea Health Industry Development Institute) and MOHW(Ministry of Health and Welfare). The sample used in this study consisted of 450 inpatients and 454 outpatients. The survey instrument is composed of physical environment items, physician factors, nursing staff factors, ancillary staff factors, administrative procedure items, and quality of hospital stay items. And overall satisfaction, intent to revisit, and intent to recommend as dependent variables are measured. Basically, the reliability and validity of survey items was evaluated. And the T-test was performed to compare regional differences of customer satisfaction. Finally to analyse the affecting factors on overall satisfaction, and customer loyalty(intent to revisit and intent to recommend), the multiple regression analysis was used. This study shows firstly, the Daegu region's patient satisfaction level of inpatients and outpatients is lower than Seoul region. Especially, nursing staff factors and quality of hospital stay items are very low on inpatient's satisfaction. Also all independent variables except the sufficiency of goods in hospital stand are very low on outpatient's satisfaction. Secondly, as a result of multiple regression analysis, ancillary staff factors(Beta=0.281) have a significant effect on overall satisfaction of inpatient cases in Daegu region. In regard to intent to revisit and intent to recommend, physical environment factors have a significant effect. Thirdly, in Seoul region, physical environment factors(Beta=0.430) have a significant effect on overall satisfaction of inpatient cases. In regard to intent to revisit and intent to recommend, administrative procedure items and nursing staff factors have a significant effect, respectively. In conclusion, these results indicate that hospitals in Daegu region make an effort to improve the customer satisfaction level, especially, of physical environment factors on inpatients and administrative procedure factors on outpatients

• The Korean Nurse
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.60-73
• /
• 1995

We carried out this study for recognizing the staue of child inpatient nursing and providing child inpatient with better qualified nursing. We study this research from March 29, 93 to April 23, 93 to April 23, '93. First admission day in hospital, we ask 50 mothers of hospitalized child inpatient about the value of nursing and self-consciousness of mothers, also ask 10 nurse in charge about the satisfaction of tending child inpatient Two times-third admission day in hospital and leaving day, we inquired mothers the value of nursing of mothers by inquiry papers, each measurement was made up of five indexes. The result of research was as follow: 1. The subjects of research had following peculiarities. Average age : 2.5 years 0~ 1 years : 32.0% Baby girl : 56.0% first baby : 58.0% Experienced inpatient : 52.0% The number of hospitalization times was 1~2 times : 61. 5% The average period of hospitalization : 7 days Infected inpatient with respiratory organ disease : 40.0% The mother's average age of child inpatient : 30.5 years Mother's who finished high school : 90.9% Family that income about 600,000-700,000 won : 32.0% Mothers who belived an religion : 50.0% 2. As hospitalization time goes by, mothers gradually failed to recognize the value of nursing. 3. Self-estimated tending satisfactions have no connection with the value of nursing that mothers recognized. 4. The value of nursing was effected by mothers own personnality-salf-consciousness care, experience of hospitalization, academic background & religoin. So, we find out that the value of nursing had no connection with satisfaction of tending. Nurses must make every effort to provide child inpatient with nursing of good quality, that mothers confirm and nurses satisfy themselves. Also, we have to emphasize the importance of home and school education, because these education have a great influence upon mother s self-consciousness.