The great gap. Physicians' perceptions of patient service quality expectations fall short of reality.

The various players in a health care encounter all hold different perspectives on what constitutes service quality. Findings from this preliminary investigation show that doctors in a multispecialty clinic rated patient expectations of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy lower than did administrators, patient-contact personnel, and, most significantly, the patients themselves. Health care marketers need to educate doctors on the importance patients place on certain issues and how to address them.