title: [An assessment of hospital services from the perspective of health professionals].
abstract: This study had the objective of determining the way in which health professionals assess hospital services offered by their institutions, as well as identifying the core of social representations elaborated by those professionals regarding such institutions. A hundred and fifty-three questionnaires, applied in two hospitals (a state hospital and a charity hospital) in the metropolitan area of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, were analyzed. In the service assessment the Charity Hospital got the highest average score as for Service Quality. The state hospital presented the lowest average in the item "Respect for patient's privacy". The central categories were "Overpopulation" and "Humanized care" in both State and Charity hospitals, respectively. The peripheral categories were "Low wages" and "Overpopulation". Conducting an assessment is a very complex and important task. The assessment should become part of the organizational culture and guide improvements hospital care quality.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. joellijr@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lima Júnior
authors.forename: Eulália Maria Chaves
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: João Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alchieri