Rezarta Kalaja - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rezarta Kalaja

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Facial Profiles, Posture and Balance

Interdisciplinary journal of research and development, Mar 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of Patient Satisfaction with Health Care: A Literature Review

European Journal of Natural Sciences and Medicine

This research paper aims to explore the field of patient satisfaction in health care, by performi... more This research paper aims to explore the field of patient satisfaction in health care, by performing a literature review on existing healthcare articles that analyse determinants of patient’s satisfaction and theories on patient satisfaction assessment. Patient satisfaction is one of the most important factors to determine the success of health care providers. Determining the exact definition, determinants and characteristics of patients that influence satisfaction, as well as different theories on satisfaction, are highly discussed elements in the literature for a long period of time. The research instrument was a literature review by combining different view from many researchers. The literature was searched in databases such as Emerald, Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus. Patient satisfaction appears to play an important role in evaluation of service quality. From the literature review, it was observed that the main determinants of patient satisfaction were the ...

Research paper thumbnail of Emergency Care Unit and Patient Satisfaction, During Covid-19 Pandemic: Durres Hospital Case

European Journal of Natural Sciences and Medicine

The outbreak of covid-19 is having a significant impact on both the physical and social environme... more The outbreak of covid-19 is having a significant impact on both the physical and social environment. Over 108.2 million people still uncounted (1). Among the sectors of a hospital, the emergency service is one of the most challenging in relation to the promotion of care quality. Achieve good levels of satisfaction of patients of these services is a difficult task (2) due to weaknesses caused by overcrowding, lack of hospital beds, lack of human resources and inadequate physical infrastructure to meet all demand (3). The difficult situation created, during the pandemic outbreak, focused the entire influx of patients, in the emergency service, which encountered the initial difficulties, of facing a completely unknown and unimaginable crisis, deepening the above problems. Patient satisfaction, as a perception and an attitude that a consumer can have or view towards a total experience of health care, is a multidimensional aspect, which represents a vital key marker for the quality of he...

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges and Employment Opportunities of Nursing Students After Finished the Master in “Surgical Nursing”

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Nursing profiling provides a specialist with the best and in-depth knowledge of the market of lab... more Nursing profiling provides a specialist with the best and in-depth knowledge of the market of labor, which would be easier to be selected as the winning candidate. Today a big problem is the migration of the professional in the medical field, which is affecting the medical service by reducing the quality of services to the patient and at the same time is reducing the necessary transfer of knowledge for the younger generations. In this study two questionnaires were constructed to better understand the importance of the professional program master in "Surgical Nursing". The first questionnaire was sent to students who have completed their studies in the professional master and the second questionnaire was sent to the institution where they were employed. 230 students who have completed professional master in Surgical Nursing in UAMD and 92 health institutions filled out the forms. From the answers received it was noted that most of the prospectuses work in public and / or pr...

Research paper thumbnail of Graves' Ophthalmopathy: A Comprehensive Review of Current Evidence and Management Approaches

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Thyroid ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease, is an au... more Thyroid ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease, is an autoimmune condition that affects the eyes and is often associated with hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid gland. It is characterized by inflammation, swelling, and tissue changes in the muscles and tissues around the eyes, leading to a range of symptoms including bulging eyes, double vision, eye pain, redness, and sensitivity to light. The treatment of thyroid ophthalmopathy typically involves managing the underlying thyroid condition, relieving symptoms, and preventing complications. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are commonly used to reduce inflammation and swelling in the eye tissues. They can be administered orally or locally through eye drops or injections. Orbital radiotherapy, a form of radiation therapy, may also be used to reduce inflammation in the eye tissues, particularly in cases where corticosteroids are not effective or not well tolerated. In addition to medical t...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Teaching Methods in Medical Technical Science Department of Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Teaching is the key to have a well- prepared student in the job market.The department of medical ... more Teaching is the key to have a well- prepared student in the job market.The department of medical technical science has always been committed to teaching as high quality as possible. The aim of our study is to evaluate the teaching methods in Medial Technical Science Department in Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres. This is a cross- sectional studies conducted in a period of 2 moths were 332 students participate. Student’s feedback on teaching methods was collected through “Google form questionnaire”. Questions regarding type of teaching methods, how satisfy students were about teaching methods and what they suggest to improve the teaching were collected. Data were presented as percentage. In our study students were satisfied with teaching methods except with laboratory and hospital practice. Most of the students reported that video projector teaching methods has a great impact in understanding the lecture. More teaching and students interactivity and evaluation forms in the end ...

Research paper thumbnail of Epidemiology of Hypertension in Albania, a Cross-Sectional Study

Archives of Pharmacy Practice

Research paper thumbnail of Patient satisfaction with quality of care in public hospitals in Albania

Frontiers in Public Health

Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly rece... more Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly received the necessary attention. The aim of this study is the assessment of key elements of service quality and their relationship with patients' satisfaction with receiving healthcare at public health institutions in Albania. The study examines five key dimensions of quality such as responsiveness, reliability, assurance, tangibles, and staff empathy to assess properly the healthcare quality and patient satisfaction in Albania based on the SERVQUAL instrument, which measures the differences between patient's perceptions of service quality received, and their expectations in terms of these five dimensions. A total of 800 randomly selected patients were interviewed in the main cities of Albania in public hospitals. A respective literature review was also a necessity to determine not only the appropriate methodology to be applied, together with the right quality dimensions to use but ...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of caries on elementary school children in the city of Durrës and their related risk factors

Research paper thumbnail of Service quality and patient satisfaction with private health care services in Albania

International Journal of Public Health Science, Mar 1, 2023

Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform no... more Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform not only related to the high demand for improvement on the available infrastructure and technology, but also due to the private hospital services competition in keeping medical staff and patients with the obligation to ensure quality care, as a fundamental human rights requirement. The purpose of this study is to make an overall assessment regarding the quality of health care in the private sector in Albania and patient satisfaction related to this service. This paper also aims to determine the main factors that play a role in patient satisfaction, and their level of importance, to provide appropriate recommendations that will support the improvement of the quality of service and increasing patient satisfaction in this sector. The instrument used for quality assessment is SERVQUAL, with five main dimensions selected (responsiveness, reliability, safety, tangibles and empathy). Data processed for 400 interviewed patients shows the correlation of patient satisfaction with only four of the elements considered. Hence, the results obtained will back applicable recommendations for developing quality and increasing patient satisfaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Managing Public Hospital Care Quality through a Patient-Centered Approach: Evidence from a Balkan Country

Universal Journal of Public Health

The evaluation of patients' experiences with hospital healthcare is crucial in identifying import... more The evaluation of patients' experiences with hospital healthcare is crucial in identifying important aspects that help in improving such experiences. Recognizing the importance of patient empowerment incorporating the latter voice in healthcare decision making can lead to improvements in health services, health outcomes, and hospital performance. This cross-sectional study aims to propose a validated instrument to evaluate and identify key hospital care aspects that influence patient satisfaction with the quality of the care provided. For a three-month period, 307 randomly selected patients hospitalized in Albanian public hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Respondents' experiences with the quality of healthcare services during their hospitalization are collected using a validated instrument, an adapted version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, PSQ-III. The instrument collects patient experiences related to ten aspects of hospital care. Statistical analysis revealed that five out of ten considered dimensions have a significant impact on patient satisfaction: Interpersonal relationships, technical quality, communication with medical staff, financial aspects, and administrative procedures are all significant factors. The findings of the study provide hospital management and medical staff with information about aspects that enhance or hinder patient satisfaction. It serves as the basis for developing strategies that may enhance the level of patients' satisfaction with the healthcare provided by public hospitals.

Research paper thumbnail of Patient Satisfaction Relation with Sociodemographic Variables in Hospital Health Care in Albania

Universal Journal of Public Health

Patient satisfaction is an important factor, which should be considered by health care managers, ... more Patient satisfaction is an important factor, which should be considered by health care managers, to evaluate the quality of hospital service. This analysis aims to show the relationship between socio-demographic variables, such as gender, age, level of education, level of income, and patient satisfaction regarding the quality of private and public hospital service in Albania, as well as to determine which of these variables has the major impact, and if there are differences between different groups. The study was conducted in five public and three private hospitals in two of the biggest cities of Albania, Tirana and Durres, where 480 patients were interviewed, over 18 years old who had received services in the five largest hospitals in terms of number of patients, from March to June 2019. The questionnaire was constructed according to the SERVQUAL model with its five main dimensions, and ANOVA analysis of variance and Tukey procedure was used as the method to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the socio-demographic factors that affected patient satisfaction in Albania were mainly age and educational level, results confirmed also from the literature review, while no relationship with gender was observed. In terms of income level, we can say that as revenue increases, the level of patient satisfaction decreases. The results of this study are important to understand the behavior of patients in relation to their satisfaction with health services in Albania, so that different categories receive the appropriate importance when providing health care. The study provides important data for health managers to take measures in improving service quality.

Research paper thumbnail of Service Quality in Public Hospitals in Albania

International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2016

Health sector has always been one of the priorities of Albanian governments in years, which is ac... more Health sector has always been one of the priorities of Albanian governments in years, which is accompanied with high levels of financing mainly for tangiblesand also in higher salaries for the medical staff. However, no specific studies are undertaken from official institutions to assess service quality in public hospitals in the country that could have improved policymakers’ decision to allocate funds in a better and proper way, especially when the private health sector is developing very fast. In this context through this article, it is measured service quality in public hospitals in Albania in its main dimension as per the literature suggestions, in order to find out what patients really appraise when taking health care services. This way, this study can serve as a ground base for further improvements in hospital care services in Albania.

Research paper thumbnail of Service Quality Assessment in Health Care Sector: The Case of Durres Public Hospital

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of services in the public regional hospital of Dur... more The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of services in the public regional hospital of Durres, as one of the most important in Albania, considering that the quality is a key parameter in performance evaluation. Patients are the main actors in appraising and assessing the quality, therefore this study is based on a questionnaire completed by 200 hospitalized patients between July and September, 2015. The survey is based on "SERVQUAL" model using five dimensions of service quality such as: empathy, tangibility, responsiveness, assurance and reliability all essential in measuring the perceptions and expectations of patients in each of them. Data elaboration and processing identify main factors affecting the overall patients' preferences where the findings in particular demonstrate positive results towards quality services without significant differences between expectations and actual perceptions of patients. In this context conclusion and results found should be taken in considerations as very important aspects for hospital managers and also policy makers when dealing with decisions affecting service quality assessment.

Research paper thumbnail of Socio demographic variables' impact on hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania

Journal of Process Management. New Technologies, 2016

patient satisfaction is one of the several ways to evaluate quality of health service, composing ... more patient satisfaction is one of the several ways to evaluate quality of health service, composing an effective indicator to measure the success of hospitals. In this context determining main factors that contributes in patient satisfaction is crucial to improve quality in healthcare delivery. Respective literature suggest that socio-demographic factors serve as main drivers for patient satisfaction, therefore through this article based on the ground survey methodology it is measure the existing linkages between gender, age, level of education and incomes and patient satisfaction in albania.

Research paper thumbnail of A theoretical perspective on approaches used to define indicators that measure health quality services

2015 UBT International Conference, Nov 7, 2015

Increased demands on life quality in its every aspect, has impose certain obligations on evaluati... more Increased demands on life quality in its every aspect, has impose certain obligations on evaluating health services quality, which has become one of the key prerequisites, not only for health care organizations, but also for governments and society. Quality, serves as an essential factor in defining and evaluating a health care institution, as well as, an indispensable competing tool between private and public sector, offering these kind of services. Consequently given the importance of the argument, numerous studies and analyses, has been carried out through years by various researchers and organizations all over the world, to identify the key indicators used to assess hospital services quality, and to find the most appropriate method to choose them. Therefore this article aims to describe different methods and efforts, made, to evaluate indicators used to measure health service quality, to better understand their point of view, their implications and applications, in order to select and propose most feasible methods, to use in Albanian context.

Research paper thumbnail of Service quality and patient satisfaction with private health care services in Albania

International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS), 2023

Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform no... more Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform not only related to the high demand for improvement on the available infrastructure and technology, but also due to the private hospital services competition in keeping medical staff and patients with the obligation to ensure quality care, as a fundamental human rights requirement. The purpose of this study is to make an overall assessment regarding the quality of health care in the private sector in Albania and patient satisfaction related to this service. This paper also aims to determine the main factors that play a role in patient satisfaction, and their level of importance, to provide appropriate recommendations that will support the improvement of the quality of service and increasing patient satisfaction in this sector. The instrument used for quality assessment is SERVQUAL, with five main dimensions selected (responsiveness, reliability, safety, tangibles and empathy). Data processed for 400 interviewed patients shows the correlation of patient satisfaction with only four of the elements considered. Hence, the results obtained will back applicable recommendations for developing quality and increasing patient satisfaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Facial Profiles, Posture and Balance

Interdisciplinary journal of research and development, Mar 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of Patient Satisfaction with Health Care: A Literature Review

European Journal of Natural Sciences and Medicine

This research paper aims to explore the field of patient satisfaction in health care, by performi... more This research paper aims to explore the field of patient satisfaction in health care, by performing a literature review on existing healthcare articles that analyse determinants of patient’s satisfaction and theories on patient satisfaction assessment. Patient satisfaction is one of the most important factors to determine the success of health care providers. Determining the exact definition, determinants and characteristics of patients that influence satisfaction, as well as different theories on satisfaction, are highly discussed elements in the literature for a long period of time. The research instrument was a literature review by combining different view from many researchers. The literature was searched in databases such as Emerald, Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus. Patient satisfaction appears to play an important role in evaluation of service quality. From the literature review, it was observed that the main determinants of patient satisfaction were the ...

Research paper thumbnail of Emergency Care Unit and Patient Satisfaction, During Covid-19 Pandemic: Durres Hospital Case

European Journal of Natural Sciences and Medicine

The outbreak of covid-19 is having a significant impact on both the physical and social environme... more The outbreak of covid-19 is having a significant impact on both the physical and social environment. Over 108.2 million people still uncounted (1). Among the sectors of a hospital, the emergency service is one of the most challenging in relation to the promotion of care quality. Achieve good levels of satisfaction of patients of these services is a difficult task (2) due to weaknesses caused by overcrowding, lack of hospital beds, lack of human resources and inadequate physical infrastructure to meet all demand (3). The difficult situation created, during the pandemic outbreak, focused the entire influx of patients, in the emergency service, which encountered the initial difficulties, of facing a completely unknown and unimaginable crisis, deepening the above problems. Patient satisfaction, as a perception and an attitude that a consumer can have or view towards a total experience of health care, is a multidimensional aspect, which represents a vital key marker for the quality of he...

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges and Employment Opportunities of Nursing Students After Finished the Master in “Surgical Nursing”

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Nursing profiling provides a specialist with the best and in-depth knowledge of the market of lab... more Nursing profiling provides a specialist with the best and in-depth knowledge of the market of labor, which would be easier to be selected as the winning candidate. Today a big problem is the migration of the professional in the medical field, which is affecting the medical service by reducing the quality of services to the patient and at the same time is reducing the necessary transfer of knowledge for the younger generations. In this study two questionnaires were constructed to better understand the importance of the professional program master in "Surgical Nursing". The first questionnaire was sent to students who have completed their studies in the professional master and the second questionnaire was sent to the institution where they were employed. 230 students who have completed professional master in Surgical Nursing in UAMD and 92 health institutions filled out the forms. From the answers received it was noted that most of the prospectuses work in public and / or pr...

Research paper thumbnail of Graves' Ophthalmopathy: A Comprehensive Review of Current Evidence and Management Approaches

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Thyroid ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease, is an au... more Thyroid ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease, is an autoimmune condition that affects the eyes and is often associated with hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid gland. It is characterized by inflammation, swelling, and tissue changes in the muscles and tissues around the eyes, leading to a range of symptoms including bulging eyes, double vision, eye pain, redness, and sensitivity to light. The treatment of thyroid ophthalmopathy typically involves managing the underlying thyroid condition, relieving symptoms, and preventing complications. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are commonly used to reduce inflammation and swelling in the eye tissues. They can be administered orally or locally through eye drops or injections. Orbital radiotherapy, a form of radiation therapy, may also be used to reduce inflammation in the eye tissues, particularly in cases where corticosteroids are not effective or not well tolerated. In addition to medical t...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Teaching Methods in Medical Technical Science Department of Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres

Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development

Teaching is the key to have a well- prepared student in the job market.The department of medical ... more Teaching is the key to have a well- prepared student in the job market.The department of medical technical science has always been committed to teaching as high quality as possible. The aim of our study is to evaluate the teaching methods in Medial Technical Science Department in Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres. This is a cross- sectional studies conducted in a period of 2 moths were 332 students participate. Student’s feedback on teaching methods was collected through “Google form questionnaire”. Questions regarding type of teaching methods, how satisfy students were about teaching methods and what they suggest to improve the teaching were collected. Data were presented as percentage. In our study students were satisfied with teaching methods except with laboratory and hospital practice. Most of the students reported that video projector teaching methods has a great impact in understanding the lecture. More teaching and students interactivity and evaluation forms in the end ...

Research paper thumbnail of Epidemiology of Hypertension in Albania, a Cross-Sectional Study

Archives of Pharmacy Practice

Research paper thumbnail of Patient satisfaction with quality of care in public hospitals in Albania

Frontiers in Public Health

Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly rece... more Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly received the necessary attention. The aim of this study is the assessment of key elements of service quality and their relationship with patients' satisfaction with receiving healthcare at public health institutions in Albania. The study examines five key dimensions of quality such as responsiveness, reliability, assurance, tangibles, and staff empathy to assess properly the healthcare quality and patient satisfaction in Albania based on the SERVQUAL instrument, which measures the differences between patient's perceptions of service quality received, and their expectations in terms of these five dimensions. A total of 800 randomly selected patients were interviewed in the main cities of Albania in public hospitals. A respective literature review was also a necessity to determine not only the appropriate methodology to be applied, together with the right quality dimensions to use but ...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of caries on elementary school children in the city of Durrës and their related risk factors

Research paper thumbnail of Service quality and patient satisfaction with private health care services in Albania

International Journal of Public Health Science, Mar 1, 2023

Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform no... more Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform not only related to the high demand for improvement on the available infrastructure and technology, but also due to the private hospital services competition in keeping medical staff and patients with the obligation to ensure quality care, as a fundamental human rights requirement. The purpose of this study is to make an overall assessment regarding the quality of health care in the private sector in Albania and patient satisfaction related to this service. This paper also aims to determine the main factors that play a role in patient satisfaction, and their level of importance, to provide appropriate recommendations that will support the improvement of the quality of service and increasing patient satisfaction in this sector. The instrument used for quality assessment is SERVQUAL, with five main dimensions selected (responsiveness, reliability, safety, tangibles and empathy). Data processed for 400 interviewed patients shows the correlation of patient satisfaction with only four of the elements considered. Hence, the results obtained will back applicable recommendations for developing quality and increasing patient satisfaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Managing Public Hospital Care Quality through a Patient-Centered Approach: Evidence from a Balkan Country

Universal Journal of Public Health

The evaluation of patients' experiences with hospital healthcare is crucial in identifying import... more The evaluation of patients' experiences with hospital healthcare is crucial in identifying important aspects that help in improving such experiences. Recognizing the importance of patient empowerment incorporating the latter voice in healthcare decision making can lead to improvements in health services, health outcomes, and hospital performance. This cross-sectional study aims to propose a validated instrument to evaluate and identify key hospital care aspects that influence patient satisfaction with the quality of the care provided. For a three-month period, 307 randomly selected patients hospitalized in Albanian public hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Respondents' experiences with the quality of healthcare services during their hospitalization are collected using a validated instrument, an adapted version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, PSQ-III. The instrument collects patient experiences related to ten aspects of hospital care. Statistical analysis revealed that five out of ten considered dimensions have a significant impact on patient satisfaction: Interpersonal relationships, technical quality, communication with medical staff, financial aspects, and administrative procedures are all significant factors. The findings of the study provide hospital management and medical staff with information about aspects that enhance or hinder patient satisfaction. It serves as the basis for developing strategies that may enhance the level of patients' satisfaction with the healthcare provided by public hospitals.

Research paper thumbnail of Patient Satisfaction Relation with Sociodemographic Variables in Hospital Health Care in Albania

Universal Journal of Public Health

Patient satisfaction is an important factor, which should be considered by health care managers, ... more Patient satisfaction is an important factor, which should be considered by health care managers, to evaluate the quality of hospital service. This analysis aims to show the relationship between socio-demographic variables, such as gender, age, level of education, level of income, and patient satisfaction regarding the quality of private and public hospital service in Albania, as well as to determine which of these variables has the major impact, and if there are differences between different groups. The study was conducted in five public and three private hospitals in two of the biggest cities of Albania, Tirana and Durres, where 480 patients were interviewed, over 18 years old who had received services in the five largest hospitals in terms of number of patients, from March to June 2019. The questionnaire was constructed according to the SERVQUAL model with its five main dimensions, and ANOVA analysis of variance and Tukey procedure was used as the method to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the socio-demographic factors that affected patient satisfaction in Albania were mainly age and educational level, results confirmed also from the literature review, while no relationship with gender was observed. In terms of income level, we can say that as revenue increases, the level of patient satisfaction decreases. The results of this study are important to understand the behavior of patients in relation to their satisfaction with health services in Albania, so that different categories receive the appropriate importance when providing health care. The study provides important data for health managers to take measures in improving service quality.

Research paper thumbnail of Service Quality in Public Hospitals in Albania

International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2016

Health sector has always been one of the priorities of Albanian governments in years, which is ac... more Health sector has always been one of the priorities of Albanian governments in years, which is accompanied with high levels of financing mainly for tangiblesand also in higher salaries for the medical staff. However, no specific studies are undertaken from official institutions to assess service quality in public hospitals in the country that could have improved policymakers’ decision to allocate funds in a better and proper way, especially when the private health sector is developing very fast. In this context through this article, it is measured service quality in public hospitals in Albania in its main dimension as per the literature suggestions, in order to find out what patients really appraise when taking health care services. This way, this study can serve as a ground base for further improvements in hospital care services in Albania.

Research paper thumbnail of Service Quality Assessment in Health Care Sector: The Case of Durres Public Hospital

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2016

The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of services in the public regional hospital of Dur... more The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of services in the public regional hospital of Durres, as one of the most important in Albania, considering that the quality is a key parameter in performance evaluation. Patients are the main actors in appraising and assessing the quality, therefore this study is based on a questionnaire completed by 200 hospitalized patients between July and September, 2015. The survey is based on "SERVQUAL" model using five dimensions of service quality such as: empathy, tangibility, responsiveness, assurance and reliability all essential in measuring the perceptions and expectations of patients in each of them. Data elaboration and processing identify main factors affecting the overall patients' preferences where the findings in particular demonstrate positive results towards quality services without significant differences between expectations and actual perceptions of patients. In this context conclusion and results found should be taken in considerations as very important aspects for hospital managers and also policy makers when dealing with decisions affecting service quality assessment.

Research paper thumbnail of Socio demographic variables' impact on hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania

Journal of Process Management. New Technologies, 2016

patient satisfaction is one of the several ways to evaluate quality of health service, composing ... more patient satisfaction is one of the several ways to evaluate quality of health service, composing an effective indicator to measure the success of hospitals. In this context determining main factors that contributes in patient satisfaction is crucial to improve quality in healthcare delivery. Respective literature suggest that socio-demographic factors serve as main drivers for patient satisfaction, therefore through this article based on the ground survey methodology it is measure the existing linkages between gender, age, level of education and incomes and patient satisfaction in albania.

Research paper thumbnail of A theoretical perspective on approaches used to define indicators that measure health quality services

2015 UBT International Conference, Nov 7, 2015

Increased demands on life quality in its every aspect, has impose certain obligations on evaluati... more Increased demands on life quality in its every aspect, has impose certain obligations on evaluating health services quality, which has become one of the key prerequisites, not only for health care organizations, but also for governments and society. Quality, serves as an essential factor in defining and evaluating a health care institution, as well as, an indispensable competing tool between private and public sector, offering these kind of services. Consequently given the importance of the argument, numerous studies and analyses, has been carried out through years by various researchers and organizations all over the world, to identify the key indicators used to assess hospital services quality, and to find the most appropriate method to choose them. Therefore this article aims to describe different methods and efforts, made, to evaluate indicators used to measure health service quality, to better understand their point of view, their implications and applications, in order to select and propose most feasible methods, to use in Albanian context.

Research paper thumbnail of Service quality and patient satisfaction with private health care services in Albania

International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS), 2023

Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform no... more Hospital service in Albania is facing difficult challenges, always trying to evolve and reform not only related to the high demand for improvement on the available infrastructure and technology, but also due to the private hospital services competition in keeping medical staff and patients with the obligation to ensure quality care, as a fundamental human rights requirement. The purpose of this study is to make an overall assessment regarding the quality of health care in the private sector in Albania and patient satisfaction related to this service. This paper also aims to determine the main factors that play a role in patient satisfaction, and their level of importance, to provide appropriate recommendations that will support the improvement of the quality of service and increasing patient satisfaction in this sector. The instrument used for quality assessment is SERVQUAL, with five main dimensions selected (responsiveness, reliability, safety, tangibles and empathy). Data processed for 400 interviewed patients shows the correlation of patient satisfaction with only four of the elements considered. Hence, the results obtained will back applicable recommendations for developing quality and increasing patient satisfaction.