Articles

Mediator Effect of Brand Image on the Relationship Between Service Quality and Patient Loyalty in the Out Patients Department of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo

Authors:

Abstract

Introduction: The utilization pattern of public hospitals in Sri Lanka is different, some are underutilized and some are over utilized. The Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children gets its clients from all corners of the country. As it is known in the competitive health care industry, the impact of perceived quality of care on the attitudes and behavior of visit and re-visit intention of the customers towards hospitals is becoming an important issue.

 

Objective: To examine the relationship between perceived quality of care and client loyalty, to ascertain whether there is a Brand Equity towards the Lady Ridgeway Hospital among its customers and how the Brand Equity affects the association of perceived quality towards patients loyalty.

 

Methodology: For the purpose of the study data was collected from 371 respondents who sought outpatient care from the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Colombo.

 

Results: The study revealed that customers from all social layers seek care at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Results also revealed that perceive quality of care has positive effect on the patient loyalty towards hospital and hospital has a good Brand Image and it plays a mediating role in this association. Patient Loyalty mainly depends on the qualitative aspects of the services provided and not on the socio-economic factors of the patients. Results imply that perceived quality of care received by the patients lead to build up of Brand Equity towards the hospital which in turn leads to patient loyalty towards Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo.
  • Year: 2021
  • Volume: 22
  • Page/Article: 81-87
  • DOI: 10.4038/sljma.v22i1.5368
  • Published on 20 Dec 2021
  • Peer Reviewed