Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24141/1/8/1/6
Application of DENTALQUAL model in measuring the satisfaction of domestic dental tourists during COVID-19 pandemic
Dora Rašan
; Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija, University of Rijeka, Opatija, Croatia
Lovro Rašan
; Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Introduction: With the expansive development of dental tourism in Croatia, there has sprung a need for research into the quality of dental services and satisfaction of tourists with the purpose of improvement and advancement of existing services.
Aim and Methods: The aim of this paper was to research and analyse the perception of dental tourists on the quality of dental services and to analyse their overall satisfaction. The measuring instrument used in this study was a modified DENTALQUAL model.
Results: Looking at the results of the empiric research, it has been determined that respondents have high expectations about quality of dental services (4.65). When it comes to the perceived quality of services, total average grade of the respondent’s perception of the given dental service was 4.50, which shows the presence of the negative SERVQUAL gap (-0.15). Respondents find cleanliness and tidiness of the interior and instruments the most important (4.97), and they are mostly unsatisfied with the dentist’s attitude towards consulting patients on the ways of preventing other diseases (-0.52). Respondents asses the overall satisfaction with the given service with a high 4.47.
Conclusion: Research of quality and satisfaction of tourists with given dental service is of essential importance for the development of dental tourism in Croatia and therefore the analysis of SERVQUAL gap has proved to be an effective research model.
Keywords
SERVQUAL model; dental tourism; service quality; COVID-19; statistic analysis
Hrčak ID:
271953
URI
Publication date:
3.2.2022.
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