Service quality in the healthcare sector

SIHAM EL-KAFAFI, MANUKAU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NEW ZEALAND
SUSHIL VARMA, SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA
Abstract: Service quality is considered a major weapon which companies can use to gain competitive advantage, and it is considered a critical determinant of competitiveness (Devlin et al., 2002). A critical measure of organisational performance and service quality is commonly noted as a critical prerequisite for establishing and sustaining a satisfactory relationship with valued customers. This paper discusses the healthcare industry in New Zealand, the importance of service quality in general and more specifically to the biomedical engineering departments within hospitals. It further investigates the available models of service quality and how best they could be used in the healthcare sector. The main goal is to recommend a suitable model that could lead to best practice and ultimate customer satisfaction through an adequate service quality in hospitals.
Keywords: Service Quality, Healthcare Sector, Customer Satisfaction