Influence of Risk Management Practices on Service Quality in Health Care Delivery

Abstract

The paper examined impact of risk management practices on service quality in healthcare provision in the Accra metropolis and compared analysis between private and public hospitals. Seven items relating to risk management practices for hospital staff were presented with responses based on a five point Likert Scale; ranging from strongly agree , agree, uncertain, disagree and strongly disagree. Questions tapping respondents’ feedback on expectations and experience of service provided were asked to patients in health facilities. Results of the study revealed that, private hospitals implemented more risk management practices and this positively impacted on their service quality from both the staff and patients’ perspectives. Public hospitals did not effectively practice risk management which showed up negatively on service quality performance from patients’ perspectives. The study shows that, management support and commitment is very important to all risk management strategies and managers in public health should commit more organizational resources toward the effective implementation of quality improvement initiatives.