The purpose of this research was to explore patients' perceptions of services
provided by hospital dietitians. The two-phase study included: (1) personal
interviews of thirty-one patients to determine service attributes believed important
when receiving a dietitian's service, and (2) development of a survey instrument,
NUTRI-SERVE. Responses were obtained from 103 inpatients and 107 outpatients
to identify service dimensions, differences in rating dimensions by patient group
and gender, and relationships between dimensions, satisfaction, and
recommendation of services.
Results of personal interviews via qualitative analysis were used to develop
NUTRI-SERVE. The survey format was a seven-point agreement scale. The
instrument was reviewed for face validity and pilot tested.
For the hospital survey, patients were randomly selected and surveyed by
telephone; response was 87%. An a priori analysis approach was utilized
examining dimensions with factor analysis to assess unidimensionality. Service
dimensions: rationale, teach, motivate, care and consideration, reliability and responsiveness, and support staffphis outcome dimensions: learn and belief in the
dietitian resulted. The factored scales demonstrated reliability.
Outpatients rated service and outcome dimensions significantly more
favorably than inpatients. Male outpatients rated and recommended the majority of
services and outcomes significantly higher than female outpatients. The support
staff dimension was rated highest by patients, while the teach dimension was rated
lowest. The lowest rated outcome was learn. Inpatients and outpatients equally
rated satisfaction with the dietitian's services favorably.
Service and outcome dimensions were highly correlated. Motivate was the
strongest driver for satisfaction and recommendation of services. Care and
consideration was the strongest driver for motivate. Satisfaction with handouts was
a driver for outpatient service dimensions, while satisfaction with the diet
instruction room was a greater driver for inpatients. A customer service model was
developed from these dimensions.
This research provides insight into patients' perspective of service quality
relating to hospital dietitians. It suggests satisfaction with dietetic education in an
outpatient setting is strongly related to successfully learning the diet. This could be
a useful management and marketing tool for dietetic managers, educators, and
dietetic interns. Further research using NUTRI-SERVE is recommended to explore
demographic and regional perceptions of service quality in dietetics. / Graduation date: 2003
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/27211 |
| Date | 06 August 2002 |
| Creators | Schneider, Constance L. |
| Contributors | Cluskey, Mary M., Messersmith, Ann M. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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