A value perspective of service interaction quality: the case of immigrants returning to native countries as medical tourists

Pham Ngoc Thuy,Nguyen Kim Ngoc Duyen,Le Nguyen Hau

doi:10.1186/s40887-019-0027-7

Abstract

Marketing literature shows that the interaction between service encounters and customers is essential for the value creation process. However, little is known about how interaction contributes to customer value in the special context of immigrants living in more-developed countries, who return to their native countries for medical service. Based on the data collected from overseas Vietnamese, this study investigates the effects of interaction quality on different forms of service value, leading to positive word-of-mouth. The findings indicate that interaction quality strongly affects customer perception of quality value and social value and moderately affects price value. In turn, these three forms of value significantly affect positive word-of-mouth. By linking perceived quality, social and price value with word-of-mouth, the present study suggests an effective way to promote this special form of medical service to immigrants living outside the country.

Highlights

IntroductionMedical tourism has been one of the fastest growing industries in the world
During the recent years, medical tourism has been one of the fastest growing industries in the world
In the context of medical tourism targeted to overseas Vietnamese going back to Vietnam for dental service, the current study addresses two main questions

Summary

Introduction

Medical tourism has been one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It involves “activities related to travel and hosting a tourist who stays at least one night at the destination region, for the purpose of maintaining, improving or restoring health through medical intervention” ([1], p.3). It is estimated that dental tourism accounts for 42% of medical tourism globally and continues to be on the rise throughout the world, in which the main customer flow is from developed countries to developing countries [5]. Among dental tourists who seek treatment outside their living countries, many immigrants are going back to their native countries in Asia [6, 7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion