Patients satisfaction of core health-care business: the mediating effect of the quality of health-care infrastructure and equipment

Abstract

Purpose Although the quality of health-care infrastructure and equipment influences patient’s overall health-care experience, health-care infrastructure and equipment are not always managed and maintained with the attention required. This is due mainly to the complexity of health-care infrastructure and equipment and shortage of maintenance budget. This study aims to determine if patient’s satisfaction of core health-care business is mediated by the quality of health-care infrastructure and equipment. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study comprises 622 adult patients at the Physician OPD and Polyclinic of Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital, Tamale Teaching hospital and Cape Coast Teaching hospital in Ghana. Structural equation model Smart PLS was used to analyse the data. Findings The study results showed that the quality of health-care infrastructure and equipment has a positive significant influence (mediation) on the relationship between health-care delivery and patient’s satisfaction as well as the relationship between adequacy of health-care resources and patient’s satisfaction. However, it was shown not to have a positive significant influence (mediation) on the relationship between quality of health-care personnel and patients’ satisfaction as well as health-care administrative process and patient’s satisfaction. Research limitations/implications First, the study findings are centred on cross-sectional data, which capture the opinion of the patients at a specific time period instead of over a period of time. Consequently, in future, though difficult to achieve, a longitudinal study can be piloted to provide more insight. Second, the data was collected from only one country (Ghana); thus, the ability to generalise the results may be a challenge. Practical implications The implication of this study is that there is the need to prudently maintain hospital infrastructure and equipment in good working condition as it has a positive effect on patients’ satisfaction of their overall health-care experience. Originality/value Most studies have concentrated on patient’s health-care experience. This study extends the knowledge of patient’s health-care experience by determining the mediating role of quality of health-care infrastructure and equipment on the relationship between patient’s satisfaction and core health-care business. There are limited studies of such nature in Ghana. Therefore, this study will provide invaluable empirical data for the health-care sector of a developing African country.

Facilities management strategic roles and services quality performance in Nigeria’s banking sector

“…The hypothesis postulated is therefore rejected meaning that the correlation is significant. These findings tally with the works of Ismail et al (2012) and Amankwah et al (2022) and confirm that FM roles at the strategic level influence service quality in organisations. However, the p-values for correlation between Strategic role and Reliability, Assurance, and Empathy were greater than 0.05.…”

“…The findings on service quality performance in the study organisations indicates that visual appealing of materials associated with services (Tangibles), insisting on error-free records (Reliability), willing to help (Responsiveness), having the knowledge to answer questions (Assurance), and giving individualised attention (Empathy) were the top rated in each of the service categories. In agreement with previous studies (Parasuraman et al, 1988;Ventuvuori and Lehtonen, 2006;Amankwah et al, 2022;Aluko et al, 2021a), organisations including banks have a duty of care to match expectations (their performance levels) with performance of these services (perceptions). In other words, this outcome reinforces the assertion, that issues that have to deal with materials associated with services, records and attention to customers must be giving priority in the banks.…”

“…For instance, Aga and Safakli (2007) used SERVQUAL instrument to examine the influence of service quality on clients' satisfaction in accounting firms, while Ismail et al (2012) used the 5 dimensions of SERVQUAL to explore how contractors' quality performance affects clients' satisfaction in Malaysian higher institutions. Furthermore, Amankwah et al (2022) used 18 clustered variables grouped into the 5 dimensions of SERVQUAL to model quality healthcare FM services in Ghana.…”

“…The result indicated that the reliability factor was the most important variable of service quality while the dimensions of empathy and assurance had significant effect on customer satisfaction. Amankwah et al (2022) assessed the mediating effects of healthcare FM service quality (operationalised into the 5 SERVQUAL dimensions) on patients' satisfaction and overall health care delivery using structural equation modelling. The study revealed that FM service quality mediates the relationship between patients' satisfaction and three of the five dimensions of healthcare quality delivery.…”

“…The approach was adopted because bias errors are likely to be drastically low while it would be faster, cheaper and ensures easier facilitation of analysis (Creswell, 2009). A taxonomy of variables drawn from the literature (Kincaid, 1994;Chotipanich andLertariyanum, 2011 Aluko et al, 2021a;Aluko et al, 2021bAmankwah et al, 2022;Aga and Safkli, 2007;Ismail et al, 2012;Parasuraman et al, 1998;Futcher et al, 2004;Cronin and Taylor, 1994;Sureshchandar et al, 2002Patanapiradej, 2012Jensen, 2011;Barrett, 2000;Ikediashi and Ekanem, 2015;Arcarnari and Capaldo, 2005;Kamarazaly, 2007;Alexander, 1996;Then, 1999;Then andAkhlaghi, 1990, Then, 2003) provided the theoretical basis for situating the research problem of the study. In all, 15 variables grouped into 3 FM roles were subjected to the views of 60 respondents who are mainly staff of the banks while 22 variables grouped into 5 SERVQUAL dimensions were subjected to the views of 140 respondents including 80 customers of the banks.…”