Effect of Infection Control Measures on Patient Satisfaction and Hospital Service Quality

Abstract

Infection control measures constitute a critical determinant of hospital service quality, patient safety, and patient satisfaction, particularly in the postpandemic healthcare environment where patients are increasingly attentive to hygiene protocols. This study examines the effect of infection control measures on patient satisfaction and overall hospital service quality using a mixed-methods research design that combines a SERVQUAL-based patient satisfaction survey with objective infection-control compliance data drawn from Infection Control Committee (ICC) surveillance records. Primary data were collected from 162 discharged inpatients across three NABH-accredited multispecialty hospitals in Hyderabad, Telangana, supplemented by structured interviews with 12 infection-control nurses and quality managers. Secondary data were sourced from WHO hand-hygiene guidelines, NABH accreditation standards, hospital ICC reports, and published literature. Findings reveal a statistically significant positive correlation between infection control compliance — hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and environmental disinfection — and patient satisfaction across all SERVQUAL dimensions, with hand hygiene compliance showing the strongest association with overall satisfaction (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). Hospitals with lower healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates recorded correspondingly higher patient satisfaction indices. The study identifies staff responsiveness and patient communication about infection control practices as key improvement areas, and recommends realtime hand-hygiene monitoring, enhanced patient communication, and integration of infection-control KPIs into hospital quality dashboards to strengthen both patient experience and clinical safety outcomes.