Page 85 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

Nurana Sadıgova, Magsud Mirzayev: Service Quality as a Determinant of Patient Satisfaction: An
Empirical Study in the Healthcare Sector

organizational differences, or varying patient priorities in the Azerbaijani healthcare
setting. These findings suggest that while consistent and dependable service delivery
and staff competence are important, they may not be the primary drivers of satisfaction
in this specific context.
The study also examined demographic influences, revealing significant gender-based
differences in perceptions of both service quality (p = 0.034) and patient satisfaction
(p = 0.016). Female patients reported slightly lower mean scores for both constructs
compared to male patients, suggesting that gender-specific expectations or
experiences may shape perceptions of healthcare services. Conversely, no significant
differences were observed across age groups (p = 0.890), indicating that service
quality perceptions are relatively consistent across different age demographics in this
sample. From a practical perspective, these findings have significant implications for
healthcare administrators and policymakers. Prioritizing investments in staff training
to enhance empathy and responsiveness can yield substantial improvements in patient
satisfaction. Additionally, maintaining high-quality physical facilities, while
secondary to interpersonal factors, remains a valuable strategy for enhancing the
patient experience. The strong correlations observed among the SERVQUAL
dimensions (ranging from r = 0.710 to r = 0.943) further suggest that improvements
in one dimension, such as empathy, may positively influence perceptions of other
dimensions, creating a synergistic effect on overall service quality. The study's
limitations include its focus on a single geographic region, which may limit the
generalizability of findings to other cultural or healthcare contexts. Furthermore, the
lack of significant effects for Reliability and Assurance warrants further investigation
to determine whether these dimensions may play a more prominent role in different
settings or with larger, more diverse samples. Future research could explore
longitudinal designs to assess how patient expectations evolve over time or conduct
comparative studies across public and private healthcare institutions to identify sector-
specific dynamics.
In conclusion, this study highlights the critical importance of empathy and
responsiveness as the cornerstones of patient satisfaction in the healthcare sector. By
fostering a patient-centered approach that emphasizes compassionate care and timely
service delivery, healthcare institutions can significantly enhance patient experiences,
foster loyalty, and improve overall health outcomes. Strategic focus on these
dimensions, alongside improvements in tangible aspects of service delivery, offers a
robust pathway for healthcare providers to align their services with patient
expectations and deliver high-quality, satisfying care.

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