An Approach Based on TRIZ Methodology and SERVQUAL Scale to Improve the Quality of Health-Care Service: A Case Study

A new innovative approach based on theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) and the quality service measurement scale (SERVQUAL) is proposed to improve the quality of health-care service. TRIZ is used at a wide range of area in industrialized countries to solve problems, while SERVQUAL is used very extensively to measure quality of service sector (especially in health-care service) by many researchers. Su et al. (2008) proposed a systematic framework based on TRIZ to solve the service quality problems. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology to improve the quality of health-care service sector by adapting the SERVQUAL scale parameters to TRIZ in the light of the study by Su et al. (2008). Firstly, we mapped the determinants of SERVQUAL scale with the analogical explanations of the 39 TRIZ engineering parameters. Then, questionnaire was prepared for confirming our study. Questionnaire was applied to ten doctors (three of them are Professors (academic) and the rest of them are regular doctors) at the Ataturk University Hospital in Turkey. Finally, a case study was conducted to show how to apply this new innovative approach. Application area of TRIZ is extended thanks to this study.