Service Quality in the Healthcare Industry: A Literature Review and Research Agenda

• Published in: International journal of marketing and business communication 2022, Vol.11 (1), p.32
• Main Authors: Agarwal, Suman, Singh, Ranjit, Upadhyay, Chandra Kant
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brand loyalty; Customer relationship management; Health care industry; Quality of service
• ISSN: 2277-484X; 2320-4974

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature published on the various aspects of service quality in the healthcare industry. The study is based on secondary information collected through the systematic review of 144 identified literature. It is found that there are 25 factors affecting the perception of customers towards the service quality, 6 important impact of service quality, 17 dimensions of service quality were identified, and 16 different measures to improve perception towards service quality. The study exhibits the influential drivers of service quality and customer perception that may stimulate healthcare managers to hold on to their customer base and enhance profitability. A positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty was also found. Finally, it concluded that if an organization desires to survive for a longer period, it is imperative to do the persistent investigation of its service quality. Therefore, the study recommends continuous quality improvement programs, proper usage of customer relationship management (CRM) and information System (IS) in order to ameliorate patient satisfaction, and loyalty in return.