The Impact of Patient Satisfaction on Patient Loyalty with the Mediating Effect of Patient Trust

This research is primarily focused on the issues of customer loyalty in the healthcare industry, particularly from the perspective of public hospitals in China. The research developed a theoretical model to test the relationship between patient satisfaction (PS), patient trust (PT), and patient loyalty (PL). The empirical data were collected from 1696 patients through the survey questionnaires from the public hospitals in Henan province. This research is an explanatory study, and adopts quantitative method. The measurement scales used in the survey were assessed and refined and the data analysis was performed using AMOS 19.0 to test the theoretical model and hypotheses developed. In addition, an exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the dimensions of PS, PT, and PL. Their reliability and validity were established through confirmatory factor analysis, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the related hypotheses. The findings indicate that PT is an important antecedent of PL, and PS has no direct relationship with PL. It is worth noting that PS can lead to PL with PT as the mediating variable. The survey results will help public hospital managers to formulate effective strategies and provide a basis for studying PL. The research will prompt hospital managers to pay attention to the factors which contribute to PS, PT, and PL, and maintain the loyalty of patients to medical institutions. This study is one of the few studies on the relationship between PS, PT, and PL in Chinese public hospitals, and it also explores the direct and indirect effects of PT on PL. The results have practical implications for the Chinese healthcare industry.