CONSUMER SATISFACTION WITH MEDICARE SERVICES IN BANGLADESH: AN APPLICATION OF THE SERVQUAL MODEL

Abstract

Good health is a gift from Almighty Allah. The study aims to evaluate patient satisfaction and loyalty in Medicare institutions in Bangladesh. The study employs a conceptual framework of the quality service dimension and measurement to see the relationships between clients’ satisfaction and loyalty. It proposes eleven hypotheses for developing a conceptual framework. It has selected four categorical medical institutions; out of them, 19 Medicare institutions have been considered a sample unit through random sampling from the northern area of Bangladesh. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to collect data. This study has used the SERVQUAL service quality model, which has gained much importance over the last decades, to measure the overall service standard of every enterprise. The study revealed that the semantic deferential 7-point rating scale provides an overall mean value of 3.9680 for the Medicare institutions in Bangladesh, which means that the respondents are not satisfied with the existing Medicare services. Healthcare providers can enhance patient satisfaction by streamlining processes, investing in staff training, ensuring accessibility, maintaining cleanliness, integrating technology, collecting feedback, fostering empathy, ensuring transparency, and regularly updating services.