Patient Satisfaction and Consumer Behavioural Intentions

Abstract

As health care services get more competitive, health care practitioners and academic researchers are increasingly interested in exploring how patients perceive quality before building up their satisfaction levels and generating behavioural intentions. Hospitals today are increasingly realizing the need to focus on service quality as a measure to improve their competitive position. Customer based determinants and perceptions of service quality therefore play an important role when choosing a hospital. In this article we examine and measure the quality of services and its outcomes (patient’s satisfaction and behavioural intentions) provided by private hospitals in Bhopal city of central India. The study resulted in the development of a comprehensive scale for measuring service quality, patient satisfaction and behavioural intentions in the health care scenario. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the proposed relationships. The results establish the direct influence of service quality on behavioural intentions, and the mediating role of customer satisfaction on influencing behavioural intentions. Service quality and patient satisfaction are found to be strong drivers of behavioural intentions in the context of health care services in India. This study analyzes the suitability of service quality to improve customer satisfaction and in the process positively impacts behavioural intentions in the health care setting.