The association between service quality at the internal medicine polyclinic and outpatient satisfaction at Kendari City Regional General Hospital, Indonesia

Background: Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of hospital service quality. At the Internal Medicine Polyclinic of Kendari City Regional General Hospital, fluctuating outpatient visits and waiting-time performance below the institutional target indicate the need to assess service quality from the patient's perspective.
Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between service quality and outpatient satisfaction, including the tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy dimensions.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 adult outpatients selected through consecutive sampling from October to December 2025. Service quality was assessed using a SERVQUAL-based questionnaire, while satisfaction was measured using a public service satisfaction instrument. Data were analyzed using univariate statistics, Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test when required, and binary logistic regression.
Results: Most respondents were satisfied with the service (73.4%). Tangible (69.6%), assurance (84.2%), and empathy (98.1%) were mostly rated good, whereas reliability and responsiveness were each rated good by 44.3% of respondents. Overall service quality, tangible, reliability, responsiveness, and assurance were significantly associated with satisfaction (p < 0.001). Empathy was not significantly associated with satisfaction (Pearson p = 0.327; Fisher's exact p = 0.389). The multivariate model had a Nagelkerke R Square of 0.727, but the estimation did not converge, so independent effect sizes and a dominant dimension could not be established reliably.
Conclusion: Outpatient satisfaction was closely associated with service quality, particularly tangible, reliability, responsiveness, and assurance. Hospital improvement should prioritize reliable service processes and rapid staff responses while maintaining physical facilities, professional assurance, and patient-centered empathy.