Tangible elements as evidence of quality of services in physiotherapy clinics

Abstract

Services are characterized by their intangibility, inseparability, and variability, elements that make it difficult for consumers to assess their quality. To reduce uncertainty, consumers tend to use tangible elements in their selection process. This becomes even more relevant when it comes to healthcare services, such as physical therapy clinics, where there is little research addressing this topic. The objective of the article is to understand how important the tangible elements, proposed by Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler (2014), are in the perception of patients as evidence of the quality of services provided by physiotherapy clinics. To achieve the study's purpose, a survey was conducted with 152 patients from eight physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and Pilates clinics located in the city of Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul. The methodology was quantitative, applying a factor analysis model. All constructs were validated, and the most significant values were the visual internal design factors and the visual external design factors. Visible environmental factors and perceptible visual factors achieved similar values. The social factor was the least significant element in the study. The findings of this study indicate that tangible elements are of significant importance as evidence of quality in health services, like physiotherapy clinics.

Key words: service marketing; tangible elements; quality; health services; physiotherapy.