The evaluation of ISO 9001 quality management system practices at hospital administrations and internal customer perceptions using servqual scale

One of the most important indicators of the level of the socio-economic developments of the contemporary societies is the quality of health services. In recent years, Quality Management System practices have been increased in order to provide an effective and qualified health services. It is thought that the changes in the process of taking Quality Certificate and practising the system increase the quality of service and this affects the choices of customers in the conditions of increasing competition. It is needed to evaluate the results in order to explain the effect of quality studies regarded as the key forging ahead in the competition to the quality of service. Therefore, it is vitally important to determine how the service presented by healthcare organizations which have quality certificate and which do not have is perceived by the customers.In this study, SERVQUAL scale was developed to measure the perceived service quality has been used. It is also studied with the employees working at Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital that has ISO 9001 Quality Management Certificate and the employees working at Izmir Ege Obstetrics and Gynecology Training and Research Hospital that does not have a Quality Certificate. Besides, the service quality perceptions have been measured, compared and the findings have been evaluated.According to the findings of the study, it is determined that ISO 9001 Quality Management System applied at hospitals has a positive effect on the service quality. As a result, the employees working at both hospitals expressed that a better service is provided at the hospitals which have quality certificate. On the other hand, the study concludes that the employees? expectations on the provided sanitary services could not be met at both of the hospitals.Key Words: Hospital, ISO 9001, SERVQUAL