Designing a Complaint Management Model in Iranian Hospitals

Introduction: The effectiveness of the complaint management system in hospitals has a significant impact on the quality of healthcare services and improves client satisfaction.

Aim: To develop and validate a patient complaint management model in Iranian hospitals.

Materials and Methods: In the present mixed-methods study, basic information about the complaint management system (executive structure, executive mechanism, and control mechanism) in selected countries (Australia, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), South Africa, Turkey, and Iran) was reviewed in this study. Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Magiran, Elsevier, Google Scholar search engine, and other databases compiled organisational websites and related and current articles. The Delphi method was utilised to identify the required items, and experts ultimately agreed upon 41 items. During the field study, 215 relevant complaint management experts and managers from across the hospital network responded to the relevant questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and the EQS 6 and Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 22.0 software packages were employed to identify and confirm the model’s dimensions.

Results: The current state of the complaint management system in Iranian hospitals presents obstacles to enhancing service quality and customer satisfaction. Factors influencing countries’ complaint management systems (41 items) were extracted based on expert opinions. The possible relationship between factors and their effectiveness was investigated using heuristic and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Finally, four factors were identified and approved for inclusion in the proposed model: structural {Comparative Fit Index (CFI=1.347), managerial (CFI=0.325), executive (CFI=1.132), and compensatory (CFI=0.216)}.

Conclusion: The patient complaint management system in Iranian hospitals can overcome existing challenges by reviewing and formulating structural, managerial, executive, and compensatory measures, as well as by drawing on the experiences of prosperous countries and by fostering coherence, improving service quality, and ensuring patient satisfaction.