Evaluation of healthcare services : cross-sectional case in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Globally, there have been numerous studies conducted on the evaluation of service quality in public health institutions. However, there remains a challenge in South African public health to provide quality service under difficult circumstances, thereby resulting in the offering of the service perceived as being poor. The purpose of this paper is to report on the investigation of service quality provided by two Public Clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the quest to improve the delivery of service quality to the public. The study adopted a mixed methods’ methodology and a narrative research approach was employed using a case of two clinics. A purposive convenient sample of 35 patients per clinic was used. Data was collected via the distribution of questionnaires and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data was captured using a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21 software and the results were processed using variables according to the importance of the statements. The findings reveal that patients are dissatisfied with the quality of service received in terms of courtesy and the waiting times are unacceptable at public health clinics.