Browsing by Author "Whitford, Frederick John"
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- ItemHealth Service Delivery in the Western Cape: A Measurement of Perceptions(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Whitford, Frederick John; Schwella, Erwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Satisfaction surveys are increasingly being suggested as a means to understand the service expectations and perceptions of patients in hospitals. The purpose of this study is to measure patient expectations and perceptions in public hospitals and establish if a service gap exists between what is expected and what is experienced. Literature suggests that service dimensions exist that can offer an explanation for the service gap. The survey conducted at district hospitals in the Western Cape, South Africa, provides useful information on the determinants of patient satisfaction across the five dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL).The findings suggest that a service performance gap exists for subjective questions regarding (for example) treatment by nursing staff, as well as for relatively objective questions regarding (for example) hospital cleanliness or physical conditions. The results of the research led to the conclusion that service quality is measurable when a well-established tool is used and questions posed measure well-defined areas of service quality. The results can serve as the basis for service improvement plans.