Drivers of Patients' Behavioral Intention toward Public and Private Clinics' Services.

Abstract

In an era of growing competition in the healthcare market, adopting a patient-centered approach is mandatory for the survival and growth of any public or private hospital. This requires a better understanding of patients' behavior and an increased focus on satisfying their needs and expectations. This paper was developed in this context and aims to study the main drivers of patients' behavioral intentions. A conceptual model was proposed, highlighting the linkages between service quality, doctors' reputation, patients' trust, service value, and patients' behavioral intentions. To examine the different research hypotheses, a quantitative study including 242 patients was conducted in Saudi Arabia using the convenience sampling method. The smart PLS approach was used to test the measurement and structural models. The findings indicated that trust and service value positively affected patients' behavioral intentions. Trust in the healthcare provider was positively affected by two dimensions of service quality: healthcare provider concern and physician concern. Trust in doctors was found to be positively related to the reputation of the doctor. Service value was positively influenced by the convenience of the healthcare process, healthcare provider concerns, and doctors' reputations. This study is original because it is among the few studies that investigate patients' behavioral intentions toward healthcare services in a developing country (Saudi Arabia). Furthermore, it is among the rare studies to examine the role of doctors' reputations in service values. The findings would offer meaningful implications for practitioners in the healthcare market for maintaining relationships with their patients.