Service Quality and Client Satisfaction in Beijing Public Hospitals: An Application of the Donabedian Model

Chao Li; Grace R. Tobias

doi:10.62051/ijgem.v10n3.03

Authors

Chao Li
Grace R. Tobias

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62051/ijgem.v10n3.03

Keywords:

Donabedian Model, SERVQUAL, Service quality, Patient satisfaction, Public hospitals

Abstract

This study examined the service quality and client satisfaction of public hospitals in Beijing using the Donabedian Structure–Process–Outcome (SPO) Model as the guiding framework and the SERVQUAL dimensions as operational indicators. A quantitative descriptive–correlational design was employed, with patients from selected public hospitals serving as respondents. Results revealed that structural aspects of service quality were rated high, reflecting the success of hospital modernization and technological investments. However, process dimensions such as responsiveness and empathy scored only moderate, indicating challenges in interpersonal communication, waiting time management, and patient-centered care. Outcome measures showed moderate to high satisfaction, especially in communication and trust, but highlighted weaknesses in coordination and shared decision-making. Overall, findings confirm that while Beijing’s public hospitals have achieved strong structural modernization, process optimization remains incomplete. The study concludes that aligning structure, process, and outcome dimensions is essential to achieve sustainable service excellence and improve patient-centered outcomes.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Alrubaiee, L., & Alkaa’ida, F. (2011). The mediating effect of patient satisfaction in the patients’ perceptions of healthcare quality–patient trust relationship. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 3(1), 103–127.

[2] Donabedian, A. (1988). The quality of care: How can it be assessed? JAMA, 260(12), 1743–1748.

[3] Duggirala, M., Rajendran, C., & Anantharaman, R. N. (2008). Patient-perceived dimensions of total quality service in healthcare. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 15(5), 560–583.

[4] Fan, L. H., Gao, L., Liu, X., Zhao, S. H., Mu, H. T., Li, Z., … & Lou, F. G. (2017). Patients’ perceptions of service quality in China: An investigation using the SERVQUAL model. PLOS ONE, 12(12), e0190123.

[5] Fatima, I., Humayun, A., Iqbal, U., & Shafiq, M. (2019). Dimensions of service quality in healthcare: A systematic review of literature. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 31(1), 11–29.

[6] Guo, X. (2022). Evaluation of outpatient service quality using SERVQUAL model: A case study of a Chinese public hospital (Master’s thesis, ISCTE-Instituto Universitario de Lisboa [Portugal]).

[7] Jiang, S. (2020). The relationship between face-to-face and online patient–provider communication: Examining the moderating roles of patient trust and patient satisfaction. Health Communication.

[8] Miao, R., Zhang, H., Wu, Q., Zhang, J., & Jiang, Z. (2020). Using structural equation modeling to analyze patient value, satisfaction, and loyalty: A case study of healthcare in China. International Journal of Production Research, 58(2), 577–596.

[9] Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

[10] Wang, W., Loban, E., & Dionne, E. (2019). Public hospitals in China: Is there a variation in patient experience with inpatient care? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(2), 193.

[11] Wang, Y., Li, Z., Zhao, X., Wang, C., Wang, X., Wang, D., … & GOLDEN BRIDGE—AIS Investigators. (2018). Effect of a multifaceted quality improvement intervention on hospital personnel adherence to performance measures in patients with acute ischemic stroke in China: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 320(3), 245–254.