Does the patient perception of service quality differ in the recession period? Evidence from Greek hospital care

The objective of this paper is to identify the determinants of the perceived quality of hospital care in Greece before and during the recession era and explore the potential differences in the client's perceptions in the downward and upward phases of the economic cycle. The findings from a representative sample of 2224 patients discharged from Greek public and private hospitals show that the satisfaction of patients of Greek hospitals with service quality over the period 2006-2016 is 70.2 points on a scale of 1–100. According to our results, in the period of growth and recession, inpatients form their perceptions about service quality based more on process quality than on the outcome of care and the quality of the facilities. Regardless of the economic cycle phases, understanding patients' needs plays the most crucial role in judging process quality. At the same time, competence is a critical factor influencing their satisfaction with technical care. As a result, initiatives that boost personnel empathy and knowledge can improve overall perceived hospital care quality in Greece