HEALTH CARE SERVICE QUALITY AND USER SATISFACTION IN THE GOHEALTH SCHEME IN GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA: THE MODERATING ROLE OF WAITING TIME.

Abstract

The current study assessed how waiting time acts as a moderating factor in the relationship between health care service quality and the level of user satisfaction by evaluating the GoHealth Scheme operating in Gombe State, Nigeria. The study employed a quantitative research strategy, and data were gathered via a structured Google Form questionnaire from a total of 338 registered GoHealth beneficiaries. The questionnaire obtained demographic details; perceived service quality level; waiting time experiences; and total satisfaction level. Demographic data (descriptive statistics) were used to summarize the collected data, and the direct and moderating impact of waiting time on the level of satisfaction was assessed via hierarchical regression analysis. Outcomes indicate that the majority of respondents experienced moderate satisfaction with the service delivery level, considered service quality to be high, and indicated that waiting times for health care service delivery were a common occurrence. Findings from the regression analysis indicate that, when assessing both service quality and waiting times as independent variables, neither service quality nor waiting time was significantly impacting the level of user satisfaction. In addition to this finding, it was concluded that waiting time did not significantly moderate the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. It can therefore be assumed that user satisfaction may be influenced by other variables, such as accessibility, quality of communication, and the efficiency of administrative procedures. Recommendations for improving the operational processes of the GoHealth Scheme were made using these results, including enhanced provider-to-user communication, improved information delivery, and conducting qualitative research to identify additional variables that may affect user satisfaction and the overall quality and effectiveness of the GoHealth Scheme.