Patients" Choic of Hospitals What Drives Patients' Choice of Destination Hospitals - Cure, Cost, or Comfort?

Authors

  • Zack Varughese Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM)

Abstract


This study investigated the impact of built environment (i.e., “servicescape”) on patients’ choice of destination hospitals. It is widely known that factors such as hospital reputation, cost of treatment, and travel related concerns impact patients’ choice of hospital, but little is known about the impact of servicescape on patients’ hospital selection process. The findings, investigated within the context of cancer treatment, suggest that while reputation, cost, and distance are strong drivers in patients’ choice, servicescape also impacts choice. Further, it is found that patients will travel long distance to choose a treatment center provided that it has a good reputation for high quality care and the “servicescape” is appropriate. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between consumer behavior and servicescape in a new dimension, the choice of cancer hospitals. The findings set the stage for additional research in this area. We believe these findings are valuable for both scholars and managers.

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Published

2020-07-06

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2020): article

Section

Healthcare Administration

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