Evaluation of Hospital Vision and Mission Statements in terms of Customer Orientation: A Content Analysis for Private Hospitals in Türkiye

This study aims to examine the vision and purpose statements of private hospitals in Türkiye with regard to their level of customer orientation. In order to achieve this objective, an examination was conducted on the purpose and vision statements of 494 privately owned hospitals in Türkiye. The vision and purpose statements of hospitals were subjected to content analysis using Nwankwo's (1995) customer orientation criteria. The evaluation of the vision and purpose statements was based on the following criteria: "Defining" refers to the emphasis placed on customer-centricity, "Sensitivity" pertains to the proactive approach adopted, "Measuring" signifies the adoption of a formalized approach, and "Implementation" denotes the commitment to taking decisive actions. Ultimately, it was determined that 82% of hospitals possessed purpose and vision statements. The findings of the study indicate that hospitals prioritize the requirements of patients and their families as the focal point of their service provision. The vision statement, accounting for 19.4% of the total content, and the mission statement, comprising 18.5% of the overall content, both emphasize the development of innovative strategies aimed at enhancing the provision of distinct service delivery to patients and their families. Nevertheless, the rate of utilization is relatively inadequate in the context of health services that heavily rely on technological advancements.