Quality of healthcare service delivery in public sector hospitals: a case study based on Western Province in Sri Lanka

S.W.S.B. Dasanayaka, G.S.P. Gunasekera and G.D. Sardana

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2012, vol. 8, issue 2, 148-164

Abstract: The main objective of this paper is identification of current service quality of healthcare delivery of public sector hospitals to assess the quality determinants of healthcare delivery and to suggest policies and strategies to improve service quality of healthcare delivery. This study was conducted in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts in Western Province in Sri Lanka. A structured questionnaire survey based on SERVQUAL model related to healthcare and situation analysis based on in-depth interviews were carried out. The findings of this paper indicate that there is a large gap between the expectations of the patients and the perceived services. These gaps are high in rural, peripheral hospitals compared with the teaching, national and base hospitals in urban areas. The study recommends that the government should take immediate action to reform the public health system through proper evaluation of the requirements of the patients and all other key stake holders.

Keywords: service quality; SERVQUAL; reliability responsiveness competence access courtesy communication credibility security customers tangibility; gap analysis; Sri Lanka; public sector; healthcare delivery; policies; strategies; Colombo; Gampaha; Kalutara; Western Province; situation analysis; patient expectations; patients; perceived services; rural hospitals; peripheral hospitals; teaching hospitals; national hospitals; base hospitals; urban areas; government reforms; public health; requirements evaluation; stakeholders; management; marketing. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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