Abstract:

There are many studies in the literature that utilized SERVQUAL model for measuring service quality. In this study, first of all, the factors determining service quality were identified from point of views of patients or those of their relatives by using the SERVQUAL model via a field study. The result of this research ; reveals nine essential factors; appearance of service personnel, doctors attitude towards patients, sufficient exploratory information on the status of patients, warm and comfortable environment, staffs’ experience level,  feeling of trust to services, sufficiency of medical equipment, communication skills, advice on rational medicine usage. After identifying the main factors affecting service quality, the importance level of each of the identified factors as well as the causal relationships among them are determined by applying the DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method, which is one of the multi-criteria decision making methods, to the hospital administrators that are regarded as experts within the field of health. According to the results of the study, patients’ feeling a sense of security from the medical services provided to them emerged as the most important factor in determining service quality, whereas dress and tidy appearance of service personnel appears to be the least significant factor.

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