Title: Hospital choice by Indian customers - empirical testing of a standardised model of service provider selection criteria

Authors: Ganesan Palanisamy; Lallu Joseph; Sivakumar Alur

Addresses: VIT Business School, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India ' Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India ' VIT Business School, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: This study's purpose was to understand and test a modified model of service-provider selection-criteria in hospital service settings. Using a thorough literature review, the study developed an instrument using scaled items under eight identified hospital selection criteria. The study covered 55 hospitals in Indian cities. All of the eight hospital selection criteria studied positively influenced customer choice. The results validate the applicability and relevance of the standardised model in healthcare context. The moderation analysis highlights that patient's gender and age do not moderate the eight selection criteria for hospital choice. Hospital marketing, operations, administration, and planning can be better with understanding of factors that increase patient satisfaction.

Keywords: patients; hospital choice; criteria; service provider; Indian.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2021.114397

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 2021 Vol.13 No.2, pp.173 - 205

Received: 18 Oct 2019
Accepted: 12 Jun 2020
Published online: 20 Apr 2021 *

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