PERCEPTION OF SERVICE QUALITY AT A PRIMARY CHILEAN HEALTH CARE CENTER

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to quantify the perception of three segments of users who received medical attention in a family health center and to analyze the existence of underlying quality dimensions. The justification is the need to improve service attention and decision making process. The methodology used a randomized survey applied to users who received medical attention in a primary health care center in the commune of Coihueco, Chile. In addition, the univariate analysis was used to quantify perceptions and the factor analysis technique to identify underlying dimensions. The results indicated that the overall quality level of the medical services received by users was 4,05 on an evaluation scale of one to five points and, five underlying quality dimensions were identified among the three user segments. By way of conclusions, it was determined that people equal to or older than 45 years had a higher level of satisfaction with respect to people under 19 and people between 20 and 44 years. In addition, it was possible to distinguish five underlying dimensions among the three segments of users: Respect for the patient, Accessibility of the service, Pleasant environment, Service availability and Tolerance towards the patient.