The Impact of Perceived Service Quality in Private Hospitals on Patient Satisfaction: A Literature Review

Abstract

The healthcare sector has transformed in recent years into a field in which private hospitals provide services to broader patient groups, driven by rapid change and evolving market conditions. Private hospitals have become increasingly significant within the healthcare sector due to their high bed capacities, advanced technology-based medical equipment, and institutional structures. Although private hospitals have offered substantial services to individuals through the growing number of hospitals, increased institutionalization, and strengthened technological infrastructure in recent years, the quality of the services provided plays a crucial role in determining individuals’ satisfaction levels. A review of the literature indicates that perceived service quality is among the most important factors affecting satisfaction levels in studies conducted particularly on healthcare institutions. In this context, the present study provides a systematic evaluation of academic research examining the effects of perceived service quality on satisfaction in private hospitals. Within the framework of the SERVQUAL model, which is widely used to measure service quality, the study offers practical recommendations aimed at increasing patient satisfaction across its five core dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The findings obtained from an in-depth literature review reveal that patient satisfaction in private hospitals is most strongly influenced by the responsiveness dimension, while reliability, assurance, and empathy also have significant effects on satisfaction. In contrast, the literature presents mixed results regarding the effect of tangibles on patient satisfaction. Accordingly, this study aims to provide a more focused and systematic review through a literature search conducted in the Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases.