Study on satisfaction and loyalty of inpatient dialysis patients based on SERVQUAL model
Keywords:
Dialysis patients, SERVQUAL model, satisfaction; loyaltyAbstract
This article were objective to study applies the Service Quality Gap (SERVQUAL) model and the inpatient satisfaction questionnaire issued by the National Medical Management Center. It investigates the medical experience and satisfaction levels of discharged dialysis patients. Exploring the impact mechanism of dialysis service quality on the satisfaction and loyalty of discharged patients.The aim is to provide references for hospitals to enhance service quality.Methods: The study selected 306 dialysis patients discharged from a tertiary hospital in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, between January 2022 and July 2024. Based on the SERVQUAL model, three scales were developed. Questionnaires were distributed online via Questionnaire Star. Statistical software was used for descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.Results: Service quality significantly impacts satisfaction. Service quality also significantly impacts loyalty. Satisfaction significantly impacts loyalty. Satisfaction mediates the relationship between service quality and loyalty.Conclusion: Using the SERVQUAL model for satisfaction evaluation helps hospitals identify service weaknesses. It improves patients' medical experiences and increases satisfaction and loyalty.Additionally, the study suggests strengthening nurse-patient communication and optimizing medical procedures to reduce waiting times, thereby further improving patient satisfaction and loyalty.This study fills the theoretical gap of SERVQUAL model in long-term dependent medical services,to provide empirical evidence for improving the quality of dialysis services in China.
References
Aliman, N. K., & Mohamad, W. N. (2016). Linking service quality, patients' satisfaction, and behavioral intentions: An investigation on private healthcare in Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 224, 141-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro. 2016.05.419
Amin, M., & Zahora Nasharuddin, S. (2013). Hospital service quality and its effects on patient satisfaction and behavioral intention. Clinical Governance: An International Journal, 18(3), 238-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/CGIJ-05-2012-0016
Andaleeb, S. S. (2001). Service quality perceptions and patient satisfaction: A study of hospitals in a developing country. Social Science & Medicine, 52(9), 1359-1370. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00235-5
Babakus, E., & Mangold, W. G. (1992). Adapting the SERVQUAL scale to hospital services: An empirical investigation. Health Services Research, 26(6), 767-786.
Bleich, S. N., Özaltin, E., & Murray, C. J. (2009). How does satisfaction with the healthcare system relate to patient experience? Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87(4), 271-278. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.07.050401
Choi, K. S., Cho, W. H., Lee, S., Lee, H., & Kim, C. (2004). The relationships among quality, value, satisfaction and behavioral intention in health care provider choice: A South Korean study. Journal of business research, 57(8), 913-921.
Dick, A. S., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer loyalty: Toward an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22, 99-113. https://doi.org /10.1177/0092070394222001
Eren, U., İshak, Ş. A. N., Bekgöz, B., & Özkan, E. U. (2020). Occupational accidents encountered pre-hospital by emergency medical services personnel and evaluation of feedback. ESTÜDAM Halk Sağlığı Dergisi, 5(3), 482-496. https://doi.org/10.35232/ estudamhsd.774960
Fatima, T., Malik, S. A., & Shabbir, A. (2018). Hospital healthcare service quality, patient satisfaction, and loyalty: An investigation in the context of private healthcare systems. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 35(6), 1195-1214.
Gremler, D. D., & Brown, S. W. (1999). The loyalty ripple effect: Appreciating the full value of customers. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 10(3), 271-293.
Hashem, T. N., & Ali, N. (2019). The impact of service quality on customer loyalty: A study of dental clinics in Jordan. International Journal of Medical and Health Research, 5(1), 65-68.
Hu, L., Ding, H., Liu, S., Wang, Z., Hu, G., & Liu, Y. (2020). Influence of patient and hospital characteristics on inpatient satisfaction in China's tertiary hospitals: A cross‐sectional study. Health Expectations, 23(1), 115-124.
https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12974
Kuo, R. J., Wu, Y. H., Hsu, T. S., & Chen, L. K. (2011). Improving outpatient services for elderly patients in Taiwan: A qualitative study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 53(2), e209-e217.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2010.09.013
National Health and Family Planning Commission Medical Management Service Guidance Center. (2024). National Hospital Satisfaction Survey. National Medical Management Center WeChat Official Account.
Nesset, E., & Helgesen, Ø. (2009). Modeling and managing student loyalty: A study of a Norwegian university college. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 53(4), 327-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313830903043117
Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252099
Otani, K., Waterman, B., & Dunagan, W. C. (2012). Patient satisfaction: how patient health conditions influence their satisfaction. Journal of Healthcare Management, 57(4), 276-293.https://doi.org/10.1097/00115514-201207000-00009
Otani, K., Waterman, B., Faulkner, K. M., Boslaugh, S., Burroughs, T. E., & Dunagan, C. W. (2009). Patient satisfaction: Focusing on "excellent." Journal of Healthcare Management, 54(2), 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1097/00115514-200903000-00005
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12-40.
Press, I. (2002). Patient satisfaction: Defining, measuring, and improving the experience of care. Health Administration Press.
Sadeh, E. (2017). Interrelationships among quality enablers, service quality, patient satisfaction, and loyalty in hospitals. The TQM Journal, 29(1), 101-107.https://doi.org/ 10.1108/TQM-02-2015-0032
Supaprawat, S., Siripipatthanakul, P., & Chok, N. V. (2021). Dental practice-related factors and patient loyalty in dental clinics, Laem Chabang, Thailand: The mediating role of patient satisfaction. International Journal of Behavioral Analytics, 1(2), 1–17.
Tianur, S., & Ali, H. (2019). Patient satisfaction model and patient loyalty: Analysis of service quality and facility. Scholars Bulletin, 5(10), 551-559. https://doi.org/10.36348/ sb.2019.v05i10.002
Tinsley, H. E., & Tinsley, D. J. (1987). Uses of factor analysis in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 34, 414-424. https://doi.org/10.1037/ 0022-0167.34.4.414.
Zarei, A., Arab, M., Froushani, A. R., Rashidian, A., & Ghazi Tabatabaei, S. M. (2012). Service quality of private hospitals: The Iranian patients' perspective. BMC Health Services Research, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-31
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of marketing, 60(2), 31-46.https://doi.org/10.2307/1251929
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nimitmai Review Journal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.