Resumo

SILVA, Yelitza. Quality of Services in the Private Health Sector. Revista de Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.1, pp.167-177. ISSN 1315-9518.

Health services have developed along with the social sciences and technology, evolving from something magical, to the rejection of sick persons, to the naturalization of illness, and to the introduction of economic theories which perpetuate health services and convert them into sources of wealth. The economic crisis makes the topics of cost, efficiency and quality in the production of health services extremely interesting, and in this vein professionals in the areas of medicine, economics and related areas have initiated a joint search for the potential benefits to be had, recognizing their importance in decision-making at all levels. This article gathers results of research the objective of which was to determine the quality of the services rendered in the private health sector in Maracaibo Municipality, Zulia State. Survey techniques were utilized in the compilation of information including the application of a questionaire and direct observation of 385 health service users in four medical centers. The results demonstrated that clients choose a Medical Center in their search for a solution of their health problem based on a series of expectations in relation to additional services, which are taken into consideration in the measurement of quality, however the effect of its cost also influences client fidelity.

Palavras-chave : Services of health; quality of service; costs; level of satisfaction; client needs.