Improvement of service quality in the Chonburi Regional medical Science Center

Abstract

This was a study of the quality of service focused on the sample receipt services at the sample receipt area of the Chonburi Regional Medical Sciences Center. The purpose of this study was to assess the situation of the current service system and assess what customers and staff need from the Chonburi Regional Medical Sciences Center to improve the quality of service. And how well the service quality was, after implementing the intervention program that responded the need of customers and staff. The study was divided into three phases. The first phase was an assessment of the current situation of sample receipt services. In second phase, the intervention program was implemented to respond to the need of customers and staff. The intervention program involved human resource development, information system development and physical facilities improvement. The third phase was an evaluation process. The achievement of the project was evaluated by assessing the satisfaction level of customers and staff after launching the intervention program for two years. Evaluation of the training course achievement consisted of knowledge, attitude and practice evaluations. The seminar evaluation, by knowledge the participant gained from the seminar by having key informants answering the knowledge test, showed that every key informant’s testing score was at the good level. The participant’s attitude evaluation toward the seminar’s curriculum, by using focus group discussion method, reflected key informant’s good attitude toward the seminar. The practice evaluation was performed by observing the operation of staff during working hours and the coordination between group works. It showed that the sample custodians expressed a warm welcome to customers by being friendly, politely offering good advice in the sample submitting process. However, there were some problems that have been found related to the coordination between the sample custodians and the laboratory staff. Evaluation of the project achievement consisted of evaluation of the customers and staff’s satisfaction on the intervention program. Customers’ satisfaction was evaluated by using questionnaires and observation. Staff’s satisfaction was evaluated by informal interviewing. It was found that most customers were satisfied with the welcome at the reception area, the impression on the care given during service hours, body language, politeness and hospitality of staff, the convenience of the sample submitting process, the promptness with deadlines and the fairness in giving service are also at good levels. In regards to the convenience in the sample reception area, advisory documents given for the submitting sample process, brochures and pamphlets of general information of the Center including newspapers and magazines provided in reception area and analytical fee, most customers’ satisfaction was at the average level. In summary, customers expressed their satisfaction for the service quality of the Chonburi Regional Medical Sciences Center at the good level.