INFLUENCE OF SERVICE QUALITY ON PATIENT SATISFACTION IN PRIMARY DENTAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Abstract

Background: Community Health Centers (Puskesmas) serve as primary healthcare providers in Indonesia, delivering essential medical services including dental and oral care for communities, families, and individuals. High-quality services emphasize five key dimensions of service quality: assurance, empathy, tangibles, reliability, and responsiveness. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of service quality on patient satisfaction at the Dental Clinic of Mijen I Community Health Center. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was applied using purposive sampling, with 142 patients as respondents. The independent variable was service quality, while the dependent variable was patient satisfaction. Data were collected through questionnaires and interview guidelines, and analyzed using validity and reliability testing, descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, and ordinal regression. Results: The univariate analysis showed the highest score in assurance (90%) and the lowest in empathy and tangibles (88%). The average level of patient satisfaction was 85%. Bivariate analysis indicated positive correlations between service quality dimensions and satisfaction, with coefficients ranging from 0.207 to 0.347, the strongest being responsiveness. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that service quality simultaneously influenced patient satisfaction, with a Nagelkerke R² value of 0.381, meaning that 38.1% of satisfaction was explained by the five service quality dimensions, while the remaining 61.9% was influenced by other factors not examined in this study. Conclusion: Service quality significantly contributes to patient satisfaction, particularly through responsiveness, assurance, and reliability. Strengthening these dimensions is crucial to improving patient experiences at community-based dental health facilities.

Keywords: Dental, Healthcare, Patient Satisfactio, Service Quality