Evaluating health care services from the perspective of the elderly.

The increasingly important over-50 age group continues to grow, presenting a unique segment for health care marketers. The present study examines the elderly's expectations and perceptions of service quality, exploring the relationship between service quality and age. In addition, the study investigates the relationship between the image of an out-patient clinic and the perceived level of service quality. The findings suggest that the elderly expect more information and more personalized attention from the multiple health care providers associated with each service encounter. Implications for exceeding the elderly's expectation of service quality and future research directions are also presented.