Busabun Uraichit. The image of private hospitals in the Bangkok metropolitan area from the clients' viewpoint . Master's Degree(Population Education). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
The image of private hospitals in the Bangkok metropolitan area from the clients' viewpoint
Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to study the image of private hospitals
in the Bangkok metropolitan area from clients’ points of view and to investigate the
factors related to that image. By design, this was a quantitative research study, with
data collected from a sample of 400 patients. The research instruments consisted of a
structured, self-administered questionnaire and 20 in-depth personal interviews. The
data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, arithmetic means, standard
deviations and a multiple regression analysis.
The study results revealed that the sample had a high level of satisfaction
based on their direct experience with the health care services they received and on
their indirect experience both from their interpersonal dealings and from printed
sources. As for the image of the private hospital, it was found that the sample had a
medium level of satisfaction with management, the overall provision of specialized
health care services, the promotion of social activities and with the expertise and
competency of the medical specialists. Regarding up-to-date medical equipment, the
sample reported a high level of satisfaction. The factors related to the clients’
perceived image of private hospitals were age, occupation and indirect experience
through interpersonal contact. The three factors are able to predict clients’ perceptions
about the image of a private hospital in the Bangkok metropolitan area at the
confidence level of 52.31 %.
The recommendations of this study are that management should place a greater
emphasis on health care services, medical vehicles should be made available to service
the community, and the competencies of specialists should be further developed.
Besides this, private hospitals should provide more customized health care services to
each different age group, and to different occupation groups, and they should assess
recipients’ reactions, and perceptions as a follow-up after they receive these services.