Service Quality in physiotherapy from the services recipient's perspective

Service Quality generally refers to the non-health and non-clinical aspects of the health services and mainly focuses on relationship between care provider and health customers, and the environment in which care services are delivered. Because of undeniable role of service quality on the improving health results, this study aims to assess Service Quality in Rehabilitation Faculty physiotherapy clinic of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional study conducted with 204 participants (patients and coadjutors) using a valid and reliable questionnaire in physiotherapy clinic. Service Quality was assessed by the following formula {SQ=10-(Importance × Performance)} based on two main dimensions of Importance and Performance. Importance scores ranged from 1 to 10 and performance score varied from 0 to 1.

Study finding showed that from the participants’ perspective choice of care provider, safety and prevention and early detection achieved the lowest service quality score and aspects of timeliness, confidentiality and quality of basic amenities had the highest service quality score respectively.

For six aspects of service quality including choice of care provider, autonomy, dignity, safety, prevention and early detection and availability and access quality score was lower than acceptable score (9) and indicating good opportunity to improve quality of delivered care.