Systematic review of the implementation of kano model in the healthcare industry

As customers' perception of quality continues to be the key determinant of success in any industry, organizations are intensively focused on customer satisfaction for service quality improvement, business growth, and sustainability. Historically, the Kano model has been used in many industries to elicit customers' service quality requirements and to categorize attributes that add value to the service and improve customer satisfaction. However, the implementation of the Kano model in the healthcare industry is still in its infancy and the customer needs related to the various healthcare services remain ambiguous. This article identifies and categorizes studies of service quality improvement that employed the Kano model in the healthcare industry. The research method used is a systematic literature review from databases related to quality improvement in the healthcare sector published in the periodicals from 2002 to 2015. The principal findings of Kano model implementations, practices, and integrated quality methodology approaches identified allow healthcare providers to comprehend customer needs related to the service quality and develop sustainable improvement strategies. This article intends to propel further research in quality improvement of the healthcare sector.