Perceived services quality in private healthcare institutions

Abstract

One of the regular activities in the developed countries of the world is an evaluation of the degree of healthcare sector services qualities, as perceived by the patients. This evaluation has been carried out in regular time spans and many methods are being used to measure the degree of certain services' quality increase, as well as to spot certain downsides that need to be improved in a timely manner. Unfortunately, measuring the healthcare sector services quality, regarding both the state and the private one, is not sufficiently present. The concept of marketing in the healthcare institutions business is not particularly developed, especially regarding public healthcare institutions. Unlike state healthcare institutions, private healthcare institutions have become aware of the great necessity of implementing both internal and external marketing modes in business, with the ultimate goal being reflected in a better customer experience and in the creation of long-term loyalty. The work is based upon research among the citizens on the perceived quality of the provided healthcare services. By means of a comprehensive perception of the healthcare sector's state, the aim was to contrast the quality of the provided services in the private healthcare institutions to the same services provided by the state ones. Apart from the quality of services, another aim of the research was getting an insight into the level of the marketing conception utilization within the private healthcare institutions business, based upon the customer perception of the services' quality and its determinants, and the market orientation of the healthcare institutions, as well.