The Impact of Patient Satisfaction on Patient Loyalty with the Mediating Effect of Patient Trust

An Analysis of Inpatient Satisfaction with Trust-related Factors of Public Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals in China

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Patient satisfaction surveys are implemented as an essential quality improvement tool in healthcare markets. This study investigates patient satisfaction in public secondary and tertiary hospitals and identifies factors contributing to inpatient satisfaction, particularly trust-related factors, to eventually improve the quality of care in the healthcare system.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between February and April 2021 in 31 Chinese provinces. Telephone interviews with computer assistance were used to gather data. Spearman Rank Correlation was used to analyze satisfaction with hospitalization services between secondary and tertiary hospitals. Multiple Linear Regression was used to determine the influencing factors of overall patient satisfaction.

RESULTS

Inpatients reported more satisfaction with inpatient care when doctors treated them respectfully (p < 0.01). Inpatients with higher self-identified social class reported higher satisfaction (p < 0.01). Inpatients who trust in most people in society (p < 0.01) and trust in the Chinese healthcare system (p < 0.01) reported higher satisfaction. Female inpatients reported higher overall satisfaction (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The study of Chinese inpatients in secondary and tertiary hospitals highlighted the importance of respect from doctors, their self-identified social class, and their trust in influencing satisfaction during their hospital stay and called for additional research into policy measures.

The Relationship among Patient Satisfaction, Patient Loyalty, and Compliance with Treatment

This study examined the relationship between patient loyalty and adherence to treatment and evaluated the mediating role of patient satisfaction in this relationship. This study consisted of 386 participants. Correlation and regression analyses were used. A low level of positive correlation was found between loyalty and compliance scores. It was determined that satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between loyalty and compliance. In addition, a moderately positive relationship was found between loyalty and satisfaction. It has been observed that patient loyalty can play a critical role in important health outcomes such as adherence to treatment and increasing satisfaction.

Corporate social responsibility and patient's intention to revisit: A serial mediation study witnessing the healthcare sector

The present study aims to identify the impact of corporate social responsibility on patients' intention to revisit the healthcare industry. Furthermore, mediating the role of patient satisfaction and patient loyalty along with serial mediation through corporate social responsibility =  > patient satisfaction =  > patient loyalty =  > intention to revisit was also tested. The present study is quantitative in nature, while the data for the study was collected using purposive sampling from 321 patients working in eight hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. For the data analysis, statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and structural equation modeling through the partial least square approach (smart-PLS v 3.3.9) were employed. The study results show that corporate social responsibility forms a significantly positive relationship with patient satisfaction, patient loyalty, and patient intention to revisit. Study findings confirmed the mediating role of patient satisfaction and patient loyalty. Furthermore, serial mediation through patient satisfaction and patient loyalty was also confirmed. In the current competitive environment, understanding the direct and indirect effects of CSR activities on patient satisfaction, patient loyalty, and intentions to revisit is of the utmost importance for hospitals. These activities provide hospitals with the opportunity to take certain actions to improve patient satisfaction, and these actions increase their loyalty, which in turn encourages their intention to revisit.

Patients' satisfaction with nursing care quality and associated factors: A cross-section study

AIM

This research aimed to evaluate patients' satisfaction with the nursing care quality during their hospitalization.

DESIGN

Quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 238 patients were recruited from hospitals in two provinces in Saudi Arabia. Patient satisfaction was measured by the Arabic version of the Patients' Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ-Ar).

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between Saudi provinces regarding the overall quality of nursing care (M = 4.65, p < 0.001). The study revealed mean significant variations between patient satisfaction with nursing care and sociodemographic factors, including age (p = 0.002), education level (p = 0.047), marital status (p = 0.017), employment status (p = 0.038), urban vs. suburban residence (p = 0.006), length of hospitalization (p = 0.001), and accompaniment by a family member (p = 0.014). Improving patients' experience during their hospitalization requires regular examination of the quality of nursing care services.

PATIENT CONTRIBUTION

This research enhances our understanding of patients satisfaction toward the quality of nursing care received during hospitalization.

Antecedents of Patient Satisfaction in Private Clinical Laboratories toward Patient Loyalty with Switching Cost and Location as Moderating Factors (An Empirical Study from Indonesia)

BACKGROUND: Clinical laboratory services are at the forefront to support healthcare services, particularly during the pandemic of COVID-19. The increasing number of private clinical laboratories at present days indicates the increase in patient needs, causing the healthcare service provider to face challenges as people have more options. Therefore fostering patient loyalty (PL) is a crucial success factor for the business growth of clinical laboratories as healthcare providers.   AIM: The purpose of this study is to analyse antecedents of patient satisfaction (PS) in clinical laboratories towards PL with the switching cost (SC) and location (LO) as moderating factors. METHODS: This study was done as a quantitative survey, and data were obtained by a cross-sectional approach with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the data analysis method. There are 266 respondents eligible as samples, who undergo the phlebotomy process in a private laboratory located within a specific area. RESULTS:  This study demonstrated that all the 9 hypotheses supported with α: 0.05 and p < 0.05, include 6 independent variables named administrative process (AP), information availability (IA), the environment in the phlebotomy room (ER), phlebotomy process (PP), waiting time (WT) and result notification (RN) that influence PS. Patient satisfaction has been shown to have a direct effect on patient loyalty and also mediate the antecedents. Furthermore, SC and LO have demonstrated a significant effect to moderate this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction has been confirmed as the main construct to predict PL whereas the AP is the most important independent variable followed by IA. Clinical laboratory management should pay more attention to these antecedents in order to ensure PS and retain the clinic’s patients. The cost from the patient's perspective should be taken into account since this helps the clinical laboratory keep the patient loyal.

Impacts of service quality, brand image, and perceived value on outpatient's loyalty to China's private dental clinics with service satisfaction as a mediator

BACKGROUND

This study explores the effects and influence paths of service quality, brand image, perceived value, and service satisfaction on outpatients' loyalty to China's private dental clinics.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China in January 2019. The participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. Of the 230 residents surveyed, 125 had received services in private dental clinics, being the valid sample of this study. A multiple linear regression model was used in exploring factors influencing patient loyalty. Subsequently, the path analysis was used in investigating the relationships among service quality, brand image, perceived value, patient satisfaction, and patient loyalty.

RESULTS

After the effects of demographic and socioeconomic variables were controlled, perceived value and patient satisfaction showed significant influences on patient loyalty. Path analysis indicated that perceived value, perceived quality, and expected quality have direct effects on patient satisfaction and have indirect effects on patient loyalty, and patient satisfaction is a mediator.

CONCLUSION

Perceived service quality influences patient loyalty through the effect of patient satisfaction, which plays a key role in promoting patient loyalty. This study implies that managers in private dental clinics can gain support from customers by building customer loyalty toward dental clinics.

Assessment of the satisfaction with public health insurance programs by patients with chronic diseases in China: a structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND

China has successfully sustained its universal health insurance coverage over the past decade. Although patient satisfaction has been recognized as an important indicator to measure the performance of insurance programs in China, there is a lack of evidence on how patients with chronic diseases are satisfied with China's public health insurance programs and whether their satisfaction differs by type of insurance. We aimed to fill the evidence gap.

METHODS

We established a hypothetical model that comprised patients' awareness of insurance policies, the fulfillment of patients' expectations of insurance benefits, patients' perceived value of health insurance coverage, patients' satisfaction with health insurance programs, patients' complaints, and trust in health insurance programs. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis by using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine the hypothesized model. A model-testing survey in 10 tertiary hospitals was conducted between June and October 2018, with a valid sample of 922 insured patients with chronic diseases.

RESULTS

The SEM model, with good fit indices, showed that patients' awareness of health insurance policies, insurance program's fulfillment of expectations, and patients' perceived value of insurance coverage, positively predicted patient satisfaction (P < 0.01). The fulfillment of patients' expectations of insurance benefits was the major predictor of satisfaction with health insurance (coefficient = 0.593, P < 0.001), while the patients' perceived value of insurance coverage had the largest impact on their trust in health insurance (coefficient = 0.409, P < 0.01). Compared to patients with Urban-Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance, Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance enrollees had a higher degree of satisfaction with insurance on average (P < 0.01). Despite differences in the degree of satisfaction, the main findings from the SEM were also proved by the multi-group analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating patients' perceived value as part of the ongoing efforts to increase satisfaction with health insurance by patients, especially those who have chronic diseases. Policymakers are also suggested to formulate evidence-informed reimbursement policies that meet patients' expectations.