Persons with disability perception of facilities management service quality: Hospital buildings in Malaysia

• Main Authors: Awang, Nuratiqah Aisyah, Chua, Shirley Jin Lin, Ali, Azlan Shah, Au-Yong, Cheong Peng, Naicker, Amaramalar Selvi, Yuliawiratman, Brenda Saria
• Format: Article
• Published: Emerald Group Holdings Ltd. 2021
• Subjects: RA Public aspects of medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/35829/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85116348029&doi=10.1108%2fIJHCQA-08-2020-0165&partnerID=40&md5=9726e08a8d664cecb353954457ee2fd7
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Purpose: This study aims to discover the perception of persons with disabilities (PWDs) towards facilities management (FM) service quality at hospital buildings in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 99 respondents in selected hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia. Findings: This study aims to discover the perception of PWDs towards FM service quality, and it has found a gap for improvement. The area that requires the highest attention includes the importance of (1) assurance on accessibility despite maintenance activity being conducted (2) criticality of facilities maintenance itself, (3) assurance on comfort and safety, (4) reliable medium to ask for assistance or giving feedback, (5) signage that is clearly seen and easily understood and (6) staff responsiveness. Research limitations/implications: This instrument is validated by PWDs under the physical disability category only, specifically in the hospital context. Future research is recommended to identify the FM service quality aspect for different categories of disability (sensory, mental or intellectual impairment). Practical implications: The findings provide evidence for FM to consider PWDs' perceptions in FM strategy development. Even FM provides a healthcare support system. FM service quality partly reflects healthcare service quality. Social implications: Accommodating the need of PWDs through the improvement of FM service quality aspect will partly fulfil the right of PWDs for equality of access to healthcare. Originality/value: This SERVQUAL tools can be improvised and used to measure the perception of PWDs on FM service quality systematically and holistically. Understanding the service quality aspect is important for a facility manager to precisely measure and prioritise what is truly important to the building users with special needs and try to accommodate this need in the management activity. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.