Page 70 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.82, # 1, 2025, pp. 70-88

SERVICE QUALITY AS A DETERMINANT OF PATIENT

SATISFACTION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN THE
HEALTHCARE SECTOR

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1
Nurana Sadıgova , Magsud Mirzayev
1,2 Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC)
[email protected]; ORCID ID: 0009-0001-1679-1228
[email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0369-3522

https://doi.org/10.30546/jestp.2025.82.01.076

Received: November 2, 2024; accepted May 20, 2025; published online July 31, 2025

ABSTRACT
In the contemporary era dominated by the service economy, the healthcare sector
stands out as one of the most vital components of the service industry. This study aims
to investigate the factors influencing patient satisfaction within the healthcare sector,
with a particular focus on the role of service quality. The relationship between patient
satisfaction and service quality identified as a key determinant of overall satisfaction
is thoroughly examined. To achieve this objective, the SERVQUAL model was
employed alongside a Likert scale to measure various dimensions of service quality.
A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 136 respondents, and the
collected data were analyzed using correlation and regression techniques via SPSS
version 27. The findings of the study indicate that among the five dimensions of the
SERVQUAL model, Empathy and Responsiveness are the most influential factors
contributing to increased patient satisfaction. Additionally, Tangibles (i.e., physical
facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel) also play a significant role. In
contrast, the dimensions of Reliability and Assurance were found to have no
statistically significant impact on patient satisfaction within the context of this
research.

Keywords: patient satisfaction, service quality, healthcare, SERVQUAL, empirical
analysis

JEL Classification: I11, M31, L84, C83

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