Development of multidimensional scale for healthcare service quality (HCSQ) in Indian context

TLDR

The study develops and empirically validates a multidimensional healthcare service quality scale based on a modified Brady and Cronin model, and examines its predictive power for key service outcomes. Using stratified sampling of 400 inpatients from five departments of a North Indian tertiary hospital, the authors constructed two structural equation models to assess direct effects of physical environment, interaction, and outcome quality dimensions on service quality and image. The results confirm both models, showing that the HCSQ scale reliably measures service quality and predicts key outcomes, thereby advancing holistic service quality modeling in healthcare. Limitations include the exclusive use of inpatients and non‑financial performance metrics.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate a multidimensional scale for measuring healthcare service quality (HCSQ), based on modified Brady and Cronin's hierarchical service quality model. The study also investigated HCSQ and its ability to predict important service outcomes through two different models. In the first model, direct effects of service quality dimensions, namely physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) and outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) on image are measured. In the second model, direct effects of physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) on service quality through outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) are measured. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 400 indoor patients of five departments', namely general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics and gynecology and ENT of a tertiary public hospital of North India using stratified sampling. Findings The study supports both the models for measuring HCSQ. Structural equational modelling is used to test the hypotheses relating to direct and indirect effects in the two models. Research limitations/implications The major limitations of the study include selection of only inpatients and use of non‐financial performance measures. Originality/value The paper contributes to the development of multiple dimensional holistical service quality models in the healthcare sector.