The quality of the service and its impact on the perception of the image of the “Sagrado Corazón De Jesús” Hospital, Quevedo, Ecuador

Abstract

The article is about the relevance of service quality in the collective perception of health institutions, using the "Sagrado Corazón de Jesús" Hospital in Quevedo, Ecuador, as a case study. The research, carried out with 358 users through probabilistic random sampling and direct surveys, sought to explore the relationship between service quality and the perception of institutional image. The results of the surveys revealed diverse perceptions about the hospital service, with areas for improvement identified, such as the implementation of telemedicine services and more effective communication with users. Although positive responses were observed in certain aspects, the correlations between the selected variables were low, indicating critical areas of attention. The findings coincide with previous research on users' concern about the quality of service in Ecuadorian hospitals. The need to improve administrative processes to optimize hospital care is highlighted. Factors such as public management and the perception of underutilization of resources influence the negative perception. An improvement in management and administrative processes is proposed, focusing on the implementation of services and more effective communication with users. The results underline the importance of addressing user perception to strengthen the reputation of health institutions in contemporary society.