The Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of the Quality of Services Provided for Patients in Hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science

Quality is a key factor in the distinction of services and it is a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage, increase productiveness and patient satisfaction. The identification of strengths and weaknesses in quality of provided services can help to recognize priorities and develop improvement strategies. The purpose of this study was running Importance-‌Performance Analysis (IPA) on the quality of services which were provided for patients in hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science.

This study was a descriptive-analytical study that performed by cross-sectional method on patients of Educational and medical Hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in year 2016. The sample of the present study included 307 patients of these hospitals who were selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection tool was The standard questionnaire included demographic information and questions of quality of service provided in 6 dimensions (Tomes & Chee Peng Ng questionnaire). In addition to IPA , data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA tests and Pearson correlation and Chi Squared using SPSS version 21 software.

The study results showed that are »important« all dimensions quality.The situation performance in the hospitals studied in dimensions non-tangibles (2.0±99.99) tangible (2.0±50.95) and physical environment(2.0±90.98) Which were located in the second region of the IPA matrix, were estimated »relatively inappropriate«. While the dimensions relationship based on mutual respect (3.0±26.88), perception disease (3.0±30.99), religious needs (3.1±18.24) and Total Quality (3.0±05.84) were located in the first region of the IPA matrix and they were estimated »relatively appropriate«. Gap were estimated in dimensions non-tangibles)-1.03(, relationship based on mutual respect(-1.01) , perception disease (-1.08) ,‌religious needs)-1.03(, tangibles (-1.52), ,physical environment(-1.49) and Total Quality(-1.18).There was a significant relationship between age and education of respondents with quality.

Given that the largest gap in importance and performance in the dimensions was related to the tangible dimension of quality and in order to improve the quality of services and competitive position, hospital managers, must consider tangibles' dimension as a priority rather than any other dimension of services quality.