Pandemic or Hurricanes? Service Quality Influence on Satisfaction in a Primary Health Care Public Clinic in Mexico.

Background and objectives: The pandemic has severely impacted health services worldwide, making it crucial to document its effects on service quality. This longitudinal study is the first to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the perceived service quality at a public clinic in Mexico and how it affected satisfaction among ambulatory patients.

Methods: The study used the service performance (SERVPERF) survey during the pandemic (period 1, n = 143, 2022) and post-pandemic (period 2, n = 100, 2023-2024) and structural equation modeling to examine the influence of various service quality dimensions on satisfaction during both periods.

Results: Contrary to expectations of a decrease in quality and satisfaction due to the increased demand for services during the pandemic, the findings indicated that overall service quality and patient satisfaction was high in both survey periods. The only exception was in the dimension of "tangible aspects," which experienced a decline in quality attributed to the effects of unexpected hurricanes. Interestingly, there was a relative improvement in service quality during the pandemic. Furthermore, factors related to empathy significantly impacted patient satisfaction during this time.

Conclusion: This study contributes valuable insights into perceived service quality at a public clinic in Mexico during and after the pandemic. It also advocates for an evaluation mechanism based on user perceptions, suggesting that political and economic efforts should focus on enhancing public service.