Service quality in a private reproductive medicine clinic from the patient and employee perspectives: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Relevance: Patient-centered care and high-quality service are essential in reproductive medicine, where patients often experience prolonged treatment pathways and emotional vulnerability. Assessing patient and employee perspectives allows for a comprehensive evaluation of service quality and organizational practices.

This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with service quality in a private reproductive clinic. In addition, this study examined staff’s perceptions of customer-centric practices and organizational factors influencing service delivery.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed at Ecomed LLP IVF Clinic, a private reproductive clinic in Almaty, Kazakhstan. A total of 954 patients participated in satisfaction surveys conducted over 7 periods between 2024 and 2025. The survey assessed reception desk performance, medical staff performance, satisfaction with clinic working hours, willingness to recommend the clinic, and preferences for additional services. An employee satisfaction survey was completed by 106 clinic staff members, evaluating customer focus, staff attentiveness, awareness of patient service standards, perceived barriers, and suggested improvement measures. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Patient satisfaction remained consistently high across all survey periods. Positive evaluations of reception desk performance exceeded 88% in all quarters, while medical staff performance received uniformly high ratings (mean 4.80–4.98 on a five-point scale). Willingness to recommend exceeded 96% throughout the study, indicating strong patient loyalty. Satisfaction with clinic working hours showed variability, including a temporary decline followed by recovery. In contrast, the employee survey indicated positive perceptions of customer-centric practices and a strong awareness of patient service standards. The key barriers included limited interdepartmental communication, insufficient training, and time constraints during patient appointments. Priority improvements identified included better internal communication, regular service training, and stronger motivation mechanisms.

Conclusion: The results show high patient satisfaction and strong staff engagement, while highlighting the need for ongoing organizational improvements in private IVF clinics.