Implementation of quality function deployment to improve HEALTH services in a private hospital

It is seen that the measurement and improvement of service quality have become more popular due to our search for quality in all areas of our lives. The study aims to present suggestions for improving the health services of a private hospital and to demonstrate that multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDM), which are not widely used in quality function deployment, can be utilized. In this context, different MCDM methods were used in the implementation stages of quality function deployment. In the planning phase, ENTROPY, CRITIC, ARAS, and TOPSIS, SWARA in prioritizing customer needs, and the DEMATEL method in revealing the relations between technical requirements were preferred. As a result of the SWARA method, it has been determined that the most critical requirements that will ensure customer satisfaction are that the procedures applied to the patients are performed correctly and at the first time, that the employees have sufficient information, and that they do not leave the questions unanswered, and that the hospital staff provides the requested services as soon as possible. Within the scope of the research, 37 technical requirements that can meet customer requirements were determined. As a result of the DEMATEL method, it was concluded that the technical requirements most associated with customer needs are communication and empathy training, the number and competence of employees, and expert personnel. In addition, the relationships between technical requirements are also revealed. It has been concluded that the technical requirements are medium, firm, and strong relations among each other. The findings reveal that health managers can use the proposed integrated approach to improve service quality. It is thought that the approach used in the study can be used as a continuous improvement tool for quality healthcare delivery.