PurposeThis study aims to empirically develop a reliable and valid instrument measuring the online service quality in the context of the banking sector in India.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological framework of this research comprises developing an instrument that is based on previous literature, qualitative and quantitative procedure. The study used the survey method and collected data via a well-structured questionnaire from a sample of active Internet banking users. The proposed instrument is identified by the data-reduction technique that is exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and validated through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsThe results confirmed that the digital banking service quality scale (DBSQual) contains 24 items in seven dimensions: (1) web architecture, (2) user friendliness, (3) efficiency of website, (4) reliability, (5) responsiveness, (6) security and (7) personalization. The relationship between digital banking service quality and e-customer satisfaction has also been found to be significant in this study.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study do not find general application for different banks operating in the same sector in India. More testing of DBSQual is required across various different contexts for validity augmentation. In addition, findings would be more reliable if the non-Indian context could be taken into consideration. Thus, such limitations open a window for future research.Practical implicationsThis study is quite fruitful for the banking organizations in measuring their online services, and enables them to implement their marketing and operational strategies more effectively and efficiently.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is the development and validation of a new instrument that is DBSQual that contains seven determinants of customers' e-service quality perception, emphasis on measuring online service quality in the Indian banking sector. These determinants will offer banks a promising starting idea for establishing an effective quality management for their online businesses. They will be able to increase the opportunities by tapping themselves at a competitive edge.

Background: Hepatitis C is one of the commonest and fatal diseases in Pakistan as well as around the World. There were around 17 million people all over Pakistan with infected Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice are important determinants to combat this fatal disease. In this regard, socioeconomic factors including low income, low educational status and inadequate housing conditions may effect on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of socio-economic determinants on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. Methods: The convenient sample technique was used to collect the data of 278 patients of HCV from Hepatitis C Clinic at Social Security Teaching Hospital Multan Road Lahore. Logistic regression was applied to identify the socioeconomic determinants that was crucial important regarding patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice Results: The results indicate that those patients who had low educational status, low income, unemployed, and inadequate housing conditions had poor performance regarding knowledge, attitude and practices towards Hepatitis C. There was a significant association between socio-economic determinants and its effects on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. Conclusion: Poor knowledge, negative attitude and bad practice towards HCV were the main reasons behind poor socioeconomic determinants. Poor knowledge, bad practices, helpless peoples, low income, low status, inadequate housing conditions and educational status effects on patient’s health.