Linking quality improvement with patient satisfaction: A study of a health service centre

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the impact of improvement in service-delivery quality on customer satisfaction and repeat patronage, in the context of health services. Design/methodology/approach - A longitudinal study of patients at a health care centre in Hong Kong assessed the effect of quality improvements made in response to the findings of its first phase, with respect to patient satisfaction and intention to revisit. Data were collected by questionnaire-based interviews with more than 1,000 patients visiting the centre. Findings - Exploratory factor analysis, varimax rotation and t-tests show that basing a service quality improvement programme on feedback from the patient survey did improve satisfaction and intention to revisit. Conclusions include the importance of management commitment to quality for effective outcomes. Research limitations/implications - The results are based on the responses of clients of a single health centre, during surveys conducted outside the premises in real time, and can be generalized to other settings only with due caution. Originality/value - Empirical evidence is provided of the positive impact of quality improvement on patient satisfaction and revisit intention in a real situation.