Title: The influence of branding and communication on the perception of value: a study from the perspective of medical tourism services

Authors: Bruno Barbosa Sousa; Gisela Maria Alves

Addresses: Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA) and CiTUR, Portugal ' Deceased; formerly of: Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Abstract: The practice of healthcare management and medical tourism depends on successfully informing potential patients about procedure options, service excellence, treatment facilities, tourism opportunities, travel benefits and destination choice. Emerging perspectives explored include targeting profitable customers, using the strongest possible strategies for customer bonding, marketing to employees and other stakeholders, and building trust as a marketing tool in healthcare management and medical tourism contexts. Patient satisfaction appears to play an important mediating role in increasing the strength of the association between healthcare quality and patient trust in healthcare service provider (service excellence). The main purpose of this study is to analyse how relationship marketing relates to other relevant variables in consumer's behaviour applied to healthcare management and medical tourism contexts. A theoretical model is developed specifying antecedents of satisfaction and loyalty in healthcare management and medical tourism contexts.

Keywords: healthcare management; medical tourism; relationship marketing; service excellence.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2023.129488

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2023 Vol.44 No.3, pp.355 - 367

Accepted: 10 Jan 2021
Published online: 10 Mar 2023 *

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