A framework for conceptualizing patient loyalty to healthcare organizations

Abstract

This paper develops a framework with which to conceptualize loyalty to healthcare organizations in terms of relationship marketing, patient satisfaction, provider switching, and retention programs. This conceptual framework can be viewed from the perspective of hospitals and clinics using structural equation modeling with a partial least squares approach (Smart PLS 2.0). Respondents received healthcare services, funded by the government and a university health insurance plan, from both types of organizations. The concept of loyalty differed slightly depended on whether data from the hospital and the clinic were analyzed together or separately. Indeed, hospitals and clinics differ with regard to several factors that can affect loyalty.