Customer satisfaction research in Italian hospital

Customer satisfaction surveys allow healthcare organizations to analyze patients' perceptions of employees behaviors and service quality in order to identify strengths and weakness of the healthcare service. Patients expectations are rapidly changing and variables interacting in a satisfaction survey are numerous, so the capability of health care organization to meet customer needs is more and more a determinant factor to achieve competitive advantage. The satisfaction survey has been carried out (October-December 2012) in a hospital in Naples, with the use of a questionnaire and a notebook. Since it deals with a Paediatric hospital the sample consists of 532 interviewees represented by patients' parents. The questionnaire focuses on four main quality dimensions as follows: administrative acceptance; comfort; doctor-patient relationship; nurse-patient relationship. A number of responders have been very positive for the professional and human skills of medical and nursing staff. The main critical issues are: the waiting time for the ambulatory visit; the level of hygiene and cleanliness in hospital rooms, and the communication and signals to access ambulatories.