Introduction
This paper is aimed at examining the functioning of the customer service in AL Baraha Hospital which is located in Dubai. One should mention that this organization is incorporated into the structure of the UAE Ministry of Health. Overall, it is critical to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this healthcare institution. In particular, much attention should be paid to the way in which the management fosters the wellbeing of patients. Furthermore, one should identify the specific problems that should be addressed by the administration. These are the main issues that should be analyzed more closely.
Customer service in Al Baraha Hospital
The customer service in Al Baraha Hospital is based on the principle that the well-being of the patients should be the top priority for medical workers and administrators. In this context, the term customer service can be defined as the actions that an organization takes in order to meet the needs of clients and improve their overall welfare (Stamatis, 2012, p. 7). In turn, such a notion as quality can be interpreted as the degree to which healthcare professionals are able to match the expectations of clients and ensure their safety (Milakovich, 2005, p. 11; Stamatis, 2012). It can be measured with the help of customer surveys which can throw light on attitudes of patients (Milakovich, 2005, p. 11). Additionally, the administration of this hospital attaches importance to leadership skills of healthcare workers. In many cases, the ability to take initiatives can be critical for improving the quality of services. Moreover, this organization postulates that every patient must be treated with respect regardless of his/her ethnic origin, religion, and race. These principles are incorporated in the customer service character which was developed by the UAE Ministry of Health (2014). To a great extent, these rules affect the development of policies and daily activities of separate employees. These are some of the aspects that should be identified.
Specific examples
One should focus on the way in which customer service is organized and managed by administration. On the whole, the policies of hospital administrators are aimed at ensuring that the clients can receive timely and efficient medical assistance. This is why administration of this institution attaches importance to such issues as cutting-edge technologies, data management, and professional competence of every employee. Moreover, the employees of this institution attach importance to customers’ feedbacks. In fact, this information is often used for the improvement of organizational policies and patient care methods. This is one of the points that can be taken into consideration.
It should be noted that this hospital incorporates a customer service department. Its major role is to make sure that the needs of clients are effectively met. This department is supposed to evaluate the performance of healthcare providers and respond to the potential complaints of customers. Furthermore, one of its duties is the collection of information about clients’ attitudes and the degree of their satisfaction. Overall, the existence of this division helps the hospital to eliminate the risks to the healthcare of clients (Greiner 2003, p. 79). This is one of the details that should be taken into account.
Additionally, the workers of this medical organization pay attention to the education of patients. This issue is particularly relevant if one speaks about who suffer from chronic illnesses such as obesity. Such practices indicate that this organization is genuinely concerned about the long-term welfare of clients and their ability to adopt healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the administration of this hospital focuses on such an issue as customer satisfaction. They regularly conduct surveys which can show clients can assess the performance of medical workers. Such steps are important for the improvement of patient care (Letiche 2008, p. 28; Greiner 2003, p. 79). These examples indicate that the management of this hospital takes much effort to improve the experiences of patients and their relatives.
Conclusion
Strengths
It is possible to distinguish several positive and negative aspects in the customer service of this institution. First of all, the management enables healthcare professionals to gain better understanding of the customer service. For instance, one can mention the seminar which was held at Al Baraha Hospital in 2013 (Ministry of Health 2013). During this seminar, the medical workers could discuss such issues as clinical documentation, time management, patients’ safety, and methods of improving the quality of services (Ministry of Health 2013). On the whole, such events are vital for raising the competence of medical workers, especially their ability to communicate with the management (Ministry of Health 2013). This is why the role of such events should not be disregarded.
This organization encourages the interdisciplinary cooperation among healthcare professionals. This approach helps medical workers to identify possible risks at an early stage (Zollman 2009). Moreover, in this way, one can improve the experiences of patients. In many cases, multidisciplinary approach makes the work of healthcare organizations more time-efficient. Finally, hospital administration provides patients with an opportunity to express opinions about the quality of services that they receive. These are the main strengths that can be identified.
Weaknesses
It should be noted that the information about this hospital can be derived only if a person uses the website of the UAE Ministry of Health. In turn, the home website of his hospital was not available at the time when I tried to access it. So, this problem can present significant inconveniences for potential customers. One should bear in mind that ability to operate in an online environment is now critical for healthcare organizations (Nambisan 2010, p. 175). This is one of the problems that should be considered by the management.
Furthermore, this hospital does not clearly identify the quality benchmarks according to which the customer service in this organization is assessed. This information can be of great interest to potential clients who may use the services of this hospital. Therefore, this organization should pay more attention to the management of informational resources (Nambisan 2010, p. 175). This is some of the recommendations that can be considered by the management of this organization.
On the whole, this discussion suggests that customer service is incorporated into the operational management of AL Baraha Hospital. The management of this medical institution creates an environment in which the well-being of a person can be properly protected by healthcare professionals. Moreover, this administration pays attention to the opinions of clients and uses research methods to survey it. Nonetheless, there are some technical problems which should be addressed. They need to improve the functioning of informational resources. These are the main points that can be made.
References
Greiner, A 2003, Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality, National Academies Press, New York.
Letiche, H 2008, Making Healthcare Care: Managing Via Simple Guiding Principles, IAP, Charlotte.
Milakovich, M 2005, Improving Service Quality in the Global Economy: Achieving High Performance in Public and Private Sectors, CRC Press, New York.
Nambisan, S 2010, Information Technology and Product Development, Springer, Boston.
Stamatis, D 2012, Essentials for the Improvement of Healthcare Using Lean & Six Sigma, CRC Press, New York.
The UAE Ministry of Health 2013, Al Baraha Hospital Hosts Seminar about Improving Quality Services and Documentation of Clinical Procedures, Web.
The UAE Ministry of Health, 2014, Customer Service Charter, Web.
Zollman, C 2009, ABC of Complementary Medicine, John Wiley & Sons, New York.