Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Gwendolyn Dooley

Abstract

Healthcare industry owners who have unsatisfactory customer care services may experience a financial risk and create dissatisfied patients. The purpose of this case study was to explore customer care strategies that managers of urgent care businesses used to improve customer care services and patient satisfaction. The target population consisted of 1 urgent care manager from 3 separate urgent care clinics with the highest customer satisfaction ratings in Alabama. The urgent care managers were knowledgeable about effective customer care strategies that improved customer care services and patient satisfaction. Customer loyalty theory with emphases on customer behavior, customer attitude, repeat patronage, and loyalty was the conceptual framework for the study. Semistructured interviews and patient survey forms were the data sources. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis which identified similar codes, patterns, and themes. The 3 primary themes that emerged from thematic analysis were patient-focused care, social media outreach, and employee engagement. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to enhance the quality of healthcare experiences, which may empower individuals to seek medical care. The patients might become trusting of healthcare providers and become collaborators in responding to medical care requests by medical staff to improve their quality of life.

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