Investigating the Influence of Service Quality on Patient Satisfaction in Public and Private Multispecialty Hospitals in India: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This study measures and compares satisfaction among patients of selected public and private multispecialty hospitals and examines the relationship between service quality dimensions and patient satisfaction. A quantitative descriptive research design was adopted by collecting primary data from 600 patients from 12 multispecialty hospitals located in various locations in Punjab and Chandigarh, with 50 patients selected from each hospital. Service quality was assessed using the SERVQUAL framework, while patient satisfaction was measured using statements adapted from Westbrook and Oliver. Independent-samples t-tests were employed to compare patient satisfaction between public and private hospitals, while PLS-SEM was used to examine the relationships between the five service quality dimensions and patient satisfaction. It revealed that patient satisfaction differed significantly between public and private hospitals across all six locations. Private hospitals reported higher satisfaction in five locations, whereas the public hospital in Chandigarh recorded higher satisfaction. Among public-hospitals, all five service quality dimensions were positively and significantly associated with patient satisfaction. Empathy showed the strongest relationship (β = .430), followed by assurance (β =0.294) and reliability (β = 0.208), with the model explaining 71 percent of the variance in patient satisfaction. Among private hospitals, reliability demonstrated the strongest relationship (β = 0.265), followed by responsiveness (β = 0.208), while the model explained 32 percent of the variance. The findings indicate that patient satisfaction should be evaluated alongside the specific service-quality dimensions associated with it. The differences in the service-quality relationships across the two sectors further suggest the need for both sectors to adopt specific strategies to improve patient satisfaction.