Testing SERVQUAL Scale Items in Vaccination Management System: A Case Study in Bangladeshi Hospitals

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic in late 2019, the global economy has been confronted with constant challenges and paradigm shifts. The pandemic posed a massive challenge to Bangladesh’s healthcare system, which is already plagued by numerous problems. Here, the ratio of healthcare workers to patients is significantly lower than the international average. Having observed a lack of research focusing on the service quality of the various Covid19 vaccination points, the researchers conducted this study which aims to use a SERVQUAL framework to examine customer experiences obtaining the Covid19 vaccine in Bangladeshi hospitals. The primary data for this study were collected using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Initially, participants in a focus group discussion expressed their appreciation for the digital registration procedure. In addition, the majority praised the user-friendly layout of the registration website and app. On the other hand, the incapacity of some hospital staff to respond to individual questions was brought up during the conversation. Following the focus group discussion, selected people over the age of 40 who had received at least one dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination were given a self-administered questionnaire, to which the researchers got 131 responses. Although the responses to a few of the research constructs were mainly favorable, the data reveal some space for improvement in terms of physical facilities and medical equipment. The survey also found that many patients were dissatisfied with the lack of empathy demonstrated by staff members at vaccination clinics. Some respondents further felt that there is a lack of media presence at the vaccination points.