Patients' Perception of Health Care Quality, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention: An Empirical Study in Bahrain
Dr. Wathek S Ramez

Abstract
Purpose – Through primary research employing SERVQUAL, This paper evaluates the level of service quality of health care providers in Bahrain with a view to uncovering, primarily; the relationship between service quality dimensions and the overall patients' satisfaction and analyzing behavioral intention of patients.
Design - methodology/approach – A sample of 235 patients of hospitals and medical centers participated in the questionnaire survey. Descriptive, factor analysis, regression and correlation statistical techniques were employed to investigate the relationship between service quality (SQ) dimensions, patients satisfaction (SAT) and behavioral intention (BI).
Findings – The study results show that SERVPERF scale was more efficient than SERVQUAL scale in explaining the variance in service quality. Two – Factor solution was provided by the SERVPERF scale, where reliability, responsiveness and assurance and the majority of empathy dimension were highly correlated and loaded on the first factor, while the second factor covered only the tangible dimension. Responsiveness, empathy and tangible dimensions had the largest influence on the overall service quality. Positive and significant relationships were found between overall service quality (OSQ), patients' satisfaction (SAT), and their behavior intention (BI).
Research limitation/ implication – This research adopts the service marketing approach for evaluating the quality of health care. Patients' attitudes toward service quality dimensions were the concern of the research. To get a comprehensive evaluation of the service quality, health care providers have to be considered in future research.
Practical implication – Based on the findings of this study, hospital managers are in a position to recognize the patients' perceptions of health care quality and the level of their satisfaction. Consequently, managers can design the marketing strategies that improve the quality of services for increasing patients' satisfaction and propensity to recommend the services of particular healthcare providers to others.
Originality/ value – This study investigates the health care quality in a small developing country. SERVPREF is more accurate than SERVQUAL for measuring service quality. It also provides two – factor solution for dimensionality of health service quality.

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