Interventions to Improve Service Delivery in Rural Mpumalanga Hospitals of South Africa

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of healthcare service quality dimensions on service delivery improvement and patient satisfaction in the South African public healthcare sector. Theoretical framework: The quality of service delivery in the healthcare sector and its influence on patient satisfaction have gained attention globally, including in South Africa. Factors that affect service delivery, such as empathy, efficiency, tangibility, safety, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, communication, and discipline, have attracted the attention of both academics and healthcare practitioners, particularly in public healthcare facilities. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research design was followed. A data set of 500 was collected from Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, and a structural equation modelling approach was used to test ten hypotheses using Smart PLS statistical software. Findings: The research findings supported all the proposed hypotheses, with four hypotheses being insignificant. The study contributes to the literature on the effects of health service quality dimensions on service delivery improvement and patient satisfaction in an often-neglected context, namely Africa. Research, Practical & Social implications: The study provides recommendations for healthcare policies and strategies to improve service delivery in the public healthcare sector based on the research findings. Originality/value: The results indicate that the Healthcare sector needs to focus on quality service to be provided to the public. It also contributed to the body of knowledge on this topic in South Africa