title: Comparison Quality of Health Services between Public and Private Providers: The Iranian People's Perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health services quality has been the most important criteria of judging, and its improvement causes people's satisfaction of health systems. In a health system, public and private sectors provide services and typically have been effective in promoting health services quality of community. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of health services in both public and private sectors from the perspective of residents in Qazvin (Iran).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014. The study population included all residents of Qazvin Province, and the sample size was estimated to 1002. The research tool was a perceptions of services quality standard questionnaire. Data were collected by trained interviewers visiting homes and were analyzed by IBM-SPSS software version 22 and t-test and linear regression. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.91 and test-re-test coefficient was 83%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  741 people (74%) in their last visit to receive services were referred to the public sector. Between the perception of people participating in the study about medical equipment and supplies, welfare facilities, competence and experience of doctor, waiting time, rapid reception, and access to doctor in public and private sectors, significant differences were observed (p < 0.05). In the tangible realm in perception of health services, there was a significant difference in quality between the public and private sectors (p < 0.05). In addition, place of receiving services, waiting time, education, occupation, and type of received services were affecting factors in regards to perceptions of health services from the perspective of Iran's population (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed the importance of a tangible realm on people's satisfaction of health services. It seems that the public sector should pay more attention to this issue.
authors: Ph.D. Candidate of Health Care Management, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors: Mehran
authors: M
authors: Alijanzadeh
authors: Ph.D. Candidate of Health Services Management, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Seyed Ali Moosaniaye
authors: SA
authors: Zare
authors: M.Sc. of Health Care Management, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Roya
authors: R
authors: Rajaee
authors: General Practitioner, Employee in Alborz University of Medical Sciences at Health Department, Alborz, Iran.
authors: Seyed Mohammad Ali Mousavi
authors: SM
authors: Fard
authors: Ph.D. of Health Care Management, Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
authors: Saeed
authors: S
authors: Asefzadeh
authors: B.Sc. of Health Information Technology, Student Research Committee, Deputy of Research and Technology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors: Mahnaz
authors: M
authors: Alijanzadeh
authors: M.Sc. of Health Care Management, Health Information Management Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors: Soheyla
authors: S
authors: Gholami
keywords: Perceptions; Private sector; Public sector; Services quality