Customer Care in Medical Tourism Industry: Explaining the Relationship between Quality, Satisfaction, Trust and Logical Price

Background and Objectives : Despite the dramatic growth of medical tourism in recent years, there is little information about the role of quality, satisfaction and trust in explaining the international patients’ behavior after the purchase. The present study investigated these variables.

Material and Methods : The purpose of this study was practical and it is a survey-analytic one. The statistical population of this study was all the patients outside the country (clients) of selected hospitals operating in the field of medical tourism in Mashhad and sampling was conducted as convenience. Data analysis was performed using bifurcated and multivariate regression and structural equation modeling in the SPSS and AMOS software. Based on the data gathered from 174 international patients, validity and reliability of the research were confirmed.

Results: The results of the study showed that the quality of medical services and the quality of services, patient satisfaction, trust in staff and trust in the medical clinic had impact on the motivation for subsequent referrals of patients and the motivation for the next visit to the medical centers of medical care in Mashhad. Also, the logical price has a moderating role for thoese relationship.

Conclusion: The role of tested variables, especially the reasonable price of health services, is important for the international referral of patients, and therefore requires the cooperation of all health care administrators, including nurses, doctors and managers to include these for the prosperity of the tourism industry and the development of the country.