Achieving Organizational Vision at the DeWitt Army Health Care System Through a Focus on Service Quality.
Abstract
Under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE initiative, DOD beneficiaries (excluding active duty) will be given a choice of health care systems from which to receive care. The purpose of this study was to determine whether choice of health care systems by a specific population could be predicted based upon the variables 'service quality' and 'customer satisfaction.' Service quality was operationally defined as a gap score by subtracting expectation scores from perception scores on a battery of questions along five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, empathy and assurance. Customer Satisfaction was operationally defined by a self reported item on the survey instrument. Data was collected from a statistically significant sample size (n=389) representing the population of DOD beneficiaries in Northern Virginia (N =140,000) utilizing the SERVQUAL survey instrument. Using regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was shown to exist: (1) between customer satisfaction and service quality, t(387)=13.566, p<.OOOl; and (2) between future choice behavior and customer satisfaction, t(387)=13.240, p<.0001. Knowledge of the relationships that exist among service quality, customer satisfaction and future choice behavior may assist in preparation for the TRICARE initiative.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA314127
Entities
People
- Donald H. Hutson
Organizations
- Academy of Health Sciences