Client Satisfaction Survey of Healthcare Delivery in Rural Ghana Using Service Quality Measurement (SERVQUAL) Approach

Abstract

Client satisfaction surveys have been emphasised over recent years to help identify barriers to quality service delivery. To identify what needs to be improved the clients’ satisfaction with the service process as well as the out-comes need to be tapped and used as bases for improved quality in service delivery. The objective of the study was to assess client satisfaction with de-livery of health care at the district level in a rural setting in Ghana. The study used questionnaire (modified SERVQUAL) that asked questions on expectations and perceptions relating to dimensions of quality connected to health care delivery - reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. It found that the gaps between scores for perceptions and expecta-tions were widest in the subcomponents of tangibles (the appearance of physical facilities, equipment and personnel) compared to the other dimen-sions. The mean scores for perception for the district were 3.0 (out of a maximum score of 5) for tangibles, 3.4 for responsiveness, 3.7 for reliability, and 3.9 each for assurance and empathy, respectively. The use of the modi-fied SERVQUAL instrument helped in identifying various components of dimensions of quality that were perceived to be unsatisfactory by clients could be specifically targeted initially for improvement, rather than trying to improve all areas simultaneously. This is critical in a resource-poor envi-ronment as it helps in prioritisation and efficient use of resources