The Impact of Perceived Service Quality on Patients' Satisfaction and Loyalty, Case Study: Laboratories of Private Hospitals in Iran

The present study examined the impact of service quality and satisfaction on each type of loyalty (attitudinal and behavioral) in the laboratories of private hospitals in IRAN.

This research has been carried out by presenting and experimenting a conceptual model in 2018. The statistical population of the study consisted of people who had an experience of using laboratory services in private hospitals during the last year. Using Cochran's formula and simple random sampling, 384 questionnaires were collected. Data were analyzed using statistical methods and structural equation modeling with SPSS and SmartPLS softwares.

The perceived service quality has positive and significant effect on patients' satisfaction. patient satisfaction has positive and significant effect on their attitudinal loyalty. However, the direct effect of satisfaction on behavioral loyalty is not confirmed and satisfaction through attitudinal loyalty affects behavioral loyalty. The results also confirmed the indirect impact of service quality on attitudinal loyalty through satisfaction, but its indirect effect on behavioral loyalty by satisfaction was not confirmed.

Behavioral loyalty in patients is achieved only by creating attitudinal loyalty. And satisfaction directly and the perceived service quality through satisfaction do not affect the formation of behavioral loyalty.