Title: Outpatient service quality and doctor-patient relationship: a study in Chinese public hospital

Authors: Guimin Duan; Lan Qiu; Weiping Yu; Hao Hu

Addresses: Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 611137, China; Business School, Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 610064, China ' State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Block 2-2D, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tomas Pereira, Taipa, Macau, China ' Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 610064, China ' State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Block 2-2D, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tomas Pereira, Taipa, Macau, China

Abstract: The hospitals in China are facing great challenges with the doctor-patient relationship, which requires a study of outpatient service quality. This paper aims to study the impact of outpatient service quality on patient satisfaction, patient trust and willingness to return. Using survey data from a leading public hospital in China, it shows that doctor visiting service quality, examination quality and payment and medicine receipt quality are positively related to patient satisfaction, patient trust and willingness to return. Pre-doctor visiting service quality only has a significant impact on patient satisfaction. Physical environment quality and waiting time do not have a significant impact on patient satisfaction, patient trust and willingness to return.

Keywords: outpatient services; outpatients; service quality; patient satisfaction; patient trust; willingness to return; public hospitals; China; healthcare services; doctor-patient relationships.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEM.2014.059725

International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 2014 Vol.6 No.1, pp.97 - 111

Received: 09 May 2013
Accepted: 02 Nov 2013
Published online: 28 Jun 2014 *

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