Comparative Analysis of Healthcare Service Quality in Public and Private Facilities in South Al Batinah Governorate, Oman
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31033/IJEMR/16.2.2026.1910Keywords:
SERVQUAL, Healthcare Service Quality, Patient Satisfaction, Public vs. Private Hospitals, South Al Batinah, Gap Analysis, Oman Vision 2040Abstract
Background: Despite substantial infrastructure investment in Oman, rigorous patient-centred comparative evidence on healthcare service quality across public and private sectors at the governorate level remains limited.
Objective: To evaluate and compare perceived healthcare service quality in public and private healthcare facilities in South Al Batinah Governorate, Oman, using the SERVQUAL framework (N = 200).
Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey of 200 adult patients (100 per sector) was conducted. Gap scores (Perception − Expectation) were computed across the five SERVQUAL dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. One-sample t-tests assessed whether gap scores differed from zero within each sector. Welch’s independent-samples t-tests and two-way ANOVA examined sectoral and dimensional effects.
Results: Public hospital patients reported significant negative gap scores across all five dimensions: Tangibles (M = −0.258, p = .008), Reliability (M = −0.367, p < .001), Responsiveness (M = −0.635, p < .001), Assurance (M = −0.220, p = .027) and Empathy (M = −0.255, p = .024). Private hospital patients showed significant negative gaps only in Tangibles (M = −0.287, p < .001); gaps in Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy were non-significant, indicating expectations are broadly met in service-delivery processes. Welch’s t-tests confirmed significant public–private differences in Reliability (t(197.4) = −2.790, p = .006, d = 0.395) and Responsiveness (t(194.8) = −3.593, p < .001, d = 0.508). Two-way ANOVA confirmed a significant main effect for sector (F(1, 990) = 19.123, p < .001, η² = .019) and dimension (F(4, 990) = 2.462, p = .044, η² = .010).
Conclusion: Private facilities substantially outperform public facilities in Reliability and Responsiveness — the two dimensions most strongly linked to patient satisfaction. The service quality gap is a process gap, not a facilities gap. Public providers in South Al Batinah must urgently prioritise process-level reforms aligned with Oman Vision 2040.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dhanalakshmi Saravanan, Talal Mohammed Ashraf Albalushi, Ali Abdallah Nasser Alfadhali, Rawan Masaaod Thunai Sloum Alabri, Shafa Khalfan Said Khalfan Alabri, Sharifa Abdulhakeem Abdallah Alzadjali
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