Quality assessment of a campus medical facility: a users' perspective approach

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the quality of an on-campus medical facility at a leading university. Design/methodology/approach: Published literature was consulted to review knowledge areas on the usability and quality performance requirements of healthcare facilities. Quality indicators were, thus, developed from the extant literature and verified by a walkthrough of a case study medical facility. Then, a quality assessment survey was developed and administered to obtain feedback from users of the medical facility. Additionally, a focus group meeting was conducted to obtain more qualitative feedback on the issues identified through the questionnaire survey. Findings: The results show that users were generally satisfied with the identified evaluation categories, indicating moderate quality. Potential quality issues related to the exterior and interior finishes, furniture and the indoor air were noted through focus group meetings. The study proposed a number of recommendations to enhance the design quality of the medical center. Originality/value: The importance of this study is evident in the fact that the quality of healthcare facilities has a direct link to the performance and overall well-being of its intended users, as well as the overall success of its host organization. The study demonstrates the value of users' feedback on the quality of a built facility. It re-emphasizes the point that buildings can only be judged to be of high quality if the users' are highly satisfied.