LAUSR

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test three visual, demographically based perceptions of service quality at several emergency rooms (ERs) of hospital organizations in Israel. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on the evaluations of 1,002 people who accompanied a patient to hospital ERs in Israel. The data were collected randomly from an internet panel that comprised more than 50,000 people aged over 18 years. Findings The findings showed that female patients were perceived as receiving significantly lower service quality than males; elderly patients were treated well by medical staff, and treatment was similar to all other adult groups; children were perceived as receiving the best service; and religious individuals perceived service quality in ERs at a higher level than non-religious patients. Research limitations/implications The current study uses a service quality scale derived from a marketing scale that was modified to study the quality of service in hospital ERs. The current study measures only differences in visual demographics. Originality/value This paper attempts to provide the ER staff of hospital organizations with some knowledge about the ways which their service is perceived and encourages a more sensitive attitude toward their patients’ needs. This may influence the hospital customer satisfaction and the hospital financial bottom-line.