title: Factors affecting the quality of hospital hotel services from the patients and their companions' point of view: A national study in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hospitality design of a hospital is a complex process that depends on careful planning, systematic thinking, and consideration of various factors. This study aimed to determine the viewpoints of patients and their relatives on factors affecting hospital hotel services in Iran in 2015. The results of this study can be used to design a suitable model for the assessment and improvement of hospitality service quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 10 hospitals of Iran were included. The subjects of the study included 480 patients and their companions from different internal and surgical wards. Simple random sampling method was performed at the hospitals, where patients were selected through stratified sampling based on hospital wards, and in each ward, through systematic sampling based on the bed numbers. A researcher-made questionnaire was used as the study tool which was developed through reviewing the literature and opinions of experts. Its internal reliability was determined based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α =0.85).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In reviewing the eleven aspects of hospital hotel services regarding the patients' and their companions' viewpoint, services related to all aspects, whether human, economic, operational, personnel identification, safety, health care services, physical, clinical welfare, cultural, patient guidance, or public welfare services, received mean scores of higher than three (out of five).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that in the patients' and their companions' viewpoint, factors affecting hospital hotel services in the country are very important. The tool used in this study can be a criterion for assessing the status of the hotel services of the country's major hospitals, so accordingly, the assessment and improvement of the existing conditions can be possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, School of Medical Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Majid
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shirzadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research, School of Management and Medical Information Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Pouran
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raeissi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, School of Medical Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Ashkan
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nasiripour
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, School of Medical Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Jamaleddin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tabibi
keywords: Hospital; hotel service; patients; quality