Investigation of Outpatient Service Quality in Hospitals Affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020: A Short Report

The current study aimed to evaluate outpatient service quality from the perspective of employees in hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2020.

In this descriptive study, 100 clinical and non-clinical employees were selected through a simple random sampling method from four teaching hospitals. Data were collected by using a standard SERVQUAL questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent t-test.

Approximately 77% of the employees participated in the study. The mean scores of the employees' expectations and perceptions of service quality were 4.72 and 3.96 out of 5, respectively. In comparing the mean scores of perceptions and expectations, the highest and lowest gaps were related to the dimensions of tangibility (gap=-1.22) and empathy (gap=-0.50), respectively.

There was a significant gap in all dimensions of expectations and perceptions. Therefore, in order to minimize the existing gap, managers and policy makers are suggested to pay more attention.