Conclusion
Our objective was twofold, first to evaluate the Pai and Chary (2016) conceptual framework’s reliability and validity and second to evaluate their proposed nine-dimension structure for measuring patient-perceived hospital service quality. Our study provides empirical evidence that the scale developed to measure hospital service quality is reliable and valid. We show that the nine dimensions predict hospital service quality.
Theoretical contribution and managerial implications
The study has strong implications for hospital quality managers seeking to measure hospital service quality who can implement the structured questionnaire in any hospital setting. Managers can also use the instrument to compare service quality among different combinations such as teaching, public and corporate hospitals.
Scope for future studies
Our study is cross sectional and limited to Karnataka state hospitals. Future studies should use a longitudinal study to provide greater diagnostic value. The instrument’s validity and reliability can also be tested in other developing countries.
