Determinants of Perceived Service Quality using 5Q Model and its impact on Patient Satisfaction and Patient Loyalty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54392/ajir2529Keywords:
Healthcare Services in Nepal, Perceived Service Quality, 5Q Model, Patient Satisfaction, Patient LoyaltyAbstract
Nepal’s healthcare market has become competitive. Hospitals have known the importance of patient satisfaction and service quality and how it impacts patient retention and loyalty. However, it is still under researched. This study explores the impact of perceived service quality on patient satisfaction and its subsequent effect on patient loyalty within private healthcare organizations in Nepal. The study uses the 5Q model to examine the five core dimensions of service quality related to Quality of Object, Process, Infrastructure, Atmosphere and Interaction. Data were collected from 387 Outpatient Department patients of KIST teaching hospital aged between 22 and 65 years. Structural equation modelling was conducted using SmartPLS 4, with bootstrapping 5,000 resamples applied to assess the significance of path coefficients. The results indicate that Quality of Atmosphere, Object and Process significantly influence patient satisfaction while Quality of Interaction and Infrastructure do not show a statistically significant impact. Patient satisfaction is seen to positively affect patient loyalty, confirming its mediating role. Perceived service quality has a strong direct effect on patient satisfaction but its direct influence on patient loyalty was not supported statistically. These results provide useful information for Nepali policymakers and healthcare professionals by highlighting the aspects of service quality that successfully influence patient loyalty and satisfaction. Improvements in object quality, processes and environmental atmosphere may increase patient-centered care and enhance loyalty in patients. Future studies could expand this framework to include more public and private hospitals in order to better understand how people perceive service quality in various healthcare settings.
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