Saeed Hosseini Teshnizi1, Teamur Aghamolaei2, Kobra Kahnouji3, Seyyed Mehrdad Hosseini Teshnizi4, Jalil Ghani5. 1. Department of Biostatistics, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2. Social Determinants for Health Promotion Research Center, Hormozgan, University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran. 3. Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran. 4. Department of Natural Science and Mathematics, School of Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, United States. 5. Shahrekord University of Medical Science, Shahrekord, Iran.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The five-dimension service quality (SERVQUAL) scale is one of the most common tools for evaluating gaps between clients' perceptions and expectations. This study aimed to assess the quality of health services in Iran through a meta-analysis of all Iranian studies which used the SERVQUAL tool. DATA SOURCES: A systematic literature review has been performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Iran Medex, Magiran and Scientific Information Database. STUDY SELECTION: All relevant English or Persian studies published between January 2009 and April 2016 were have been selected. Papers were considered if they regarded all five dimensions of the SERVQUAL tool for assessing the quality of health care services. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewer independently extracted mean and standard deviation of five dimensions and characteristics of studies. The quality of studies included in meta-analysis using STROBE checklist. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: Of 315 studies initially identified, 12 were included in our meta-analysis. All analyses were performed in Stata MP v. 14. Patients' perceptions were lower than their expectations (gap = -1.64). Responsibility (-1.22) and reliability (-1.15) had the lowest gaps, and tangibility and empathy (-1.03) had the largest gaps. Except gender, other variables had no significant associations with gaps. Patients in the cities of Arak (-3.47) and Shiraz (-3.02) had the largest gaps. CONCLUSIONS: All dimensions of service quality were negative, which implies that the quality of health services in Iran has not been satisfying to patients and needs to be improved.
PURPOSE: The five-dimension service quality (SERVQUAL) scale is one of the most common tools for evaluating gaps between clients' perceptions and expectations. This study aimed to assess the quality of health services in Iran through a meta-analysis of all Iranian studies which used the SERVQUAL tool. DATA SOURCES: A systematic literature review has been performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Iran Medex, Magiran and Scientific Information Database. STUDY SELECTION: All relevant English or Persian studies published between January 2009 and April 2016 were have been selected. Papers were considered if they regarded all five dimensions of the SERVQUAL tool for assessing the quality of health care services. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewer independently extracted mean and standard deviation of five dimensions and characteristics of studies. The quality of studies included in meta-analysis using STROBE checklist. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: Of 315 studies initially identified, 12 were included in our meta-analysis. All analyses were performed in Stata MP v. 14. Patients' perceptions were lower than their expectations (gap = -1.64). Responsibility (-1.22) and reliability (-1.15) had the lowest gaps, and tangibility and empathy (-1.03) had the largest gaps. Except gender, other variables had no significant associations with gaps. Patients in the cities of Arak (-3.47) and Shiraz (-3.02) had the largest gaps. CONCLUSIONS: All dimensions of service quality were negative, which implies that the quality of health services in Iran has not been satisfying to patients and needs to be improved.