EFFECT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICE QUALITY ON PATIENT SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN KENYA: A CASE OF NAROK COUNTY REFERRAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Despite the provision of high-quality healthcare services is crucial for ensuring patient satisfaction, public hospitals in Kenya continue to experience substantial discrepancies between patient expectations and the care they actually receive. Public healthcare delivery is guided by numerous policies and regulations aimed at enhancing service quality, safeguarding patients, and improving overall health outcomes. However, despite the existence of these frameworks, public hospitals frequently face challenges such as limited resources, insufficient staff training, and inadequate technological integration, which hinder consistent adherence to healthcare standards. These factors negatively impact the delivery of sustainable, patient-centered care, yet there remains a paucity of research examining how these issues affect service quality and patient satisfaction. Against this backdrop, the present study aimed to assess the effects of healthcare service quality on patient satisfaction. Specifically, the study examined the influence of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy on patient satisfaction. The research was grounded in the Resource-Based View, Theory of Constraints, and Customer Service Theory. A descriptive research design was employed, and data were collected using structured questionnaires. A pilot study with 25 respondents at Longisa County Referral Hospital was conducted to ensure the validity and reliability of the instruments. Data analysis was performed using Ordinal Logistic Regression, incorporating both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that all five service quality dimensions were statistically significant predictors of patient satisfaction, with responsiveness demonstrating the strongest positive relationship. Overall, the study provided robust evidence that all dimensions of service quality positively and significantly influence patient satisfaction in public hospitals, with particular reference to Narok County Referral Hospital. Based on these results, the study recommends enhancing several aspects of service quality to improve patient satisfaction, including modern equipment, staff appearance and competencies, effective communication, comfortable facilities, empathetic engagement, 24/7 service availability, and efficient queue management. Additionally, the study suggests that future research should explore each service quality dimension in greater depth, potentially using alternative metrics and measurement indicators to build on the current finding.