A Hierarchical Model of Health Service Quality

TLDR

The study developed and validated a multidimensional hierarchical scale to measure health service quality and examined its predictive power for service satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Data were gathered through a qualitative study and three field studies involving oncology clinic and general medical practice patients. The hierarchical model fit all samples, revealing nine subdimensions under four primary dimensions—interpersonal, technical, environment, and administrative—and showed that service quality significantly influences satisfaction and behavioral intentions, mediating the link between dimensions and intentions.

Abstract

This research developed and empirically validated a multidimensional hierarchical scale for measuring health service quality and investigated the scale's ability to predict important service outcomes, namely, service satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Data were collected from a qualitative study and three different field studies of health care patients in two different health care contexts: oncology clinics and a general medical practice. Service quality was found to conform to the structure of the hierarchical model in all three samples. The research identified nine subdimensions driving four primary dimensions, which in turn were found to drive service quality perceptions. The primary dimensions were interpersonal quality, technical quality, environment quality, and administrative quality. The subdimensions were interaction, relationship, outcome, expertise, atmosphere, tangibles, timeliness, operation, and support. The findings also support the hypothesis that service quality has a significant impact on service satisfaction and behavioral intentions and that service quality mediates the relationship between the dimensions and intentions.