Application Of Service Encounter Theory In Medical Service: An Exploratory Study On Patients' Satisfaction Evaluation System

Objective: The thesis explores to establish the structure and content of patients' satisfaction evaluation system based on Service Encounter Theory, using the narrative inquiry method and grounded theory method to find out the influence factors and building the service contact model of patient satisfaction.Method: The theoretical framework of this research is based on Service Encounter Theory. Using the method of Non-Participant Observation to collect the patients' experience information in Third Grade Class A Hospitals, such as patients' various verbal mood, expression and behaviors. These qualitative information are analyzed and summarized by Narrative Inquiry method and Grounded Theory approach, so as to find and identify different kinds of service contact points which construct the base of evaluation system.Results: 137 outpatients were observed in this study. According to the exclusion criteria, 133 patients were enrolled for the study. The service contact points at any stage of medical treatment process can be divided into three dimensions: outcome, procedure and communication. Any dimension will be divided into three aspects: people-touchpoint, setting-touchpoint and information-touchpoint. Each of contact points can become potential factors affecting patients' satisfaction. For example, it belongs to setting and procedure dimension that there is no enough seats available during waiting, doctor's indifferent attitude toward patients belongs to attendant and interaction dimensions, it belongs to setting and outcome dimensions that patients cannot get their clinical tests results on the same day, etc. Timely improving the weakness of service encounter can effectively increase the satisfaction of patients. To build patient satisfaction evaluation system based on the above analysis.Conclusions: Various service contact points will provide the basis for establishing a reasonable and effective patients' satisfaction evaluation system. In exploratory research stage, qualitative method was proved to be effective when tried to obtain empirical satisfaction information. The results may constitute an important information pool for further evidence-based satisfaction questionnaire design.