Brand Equity of Healthcare Destinations and Its Impact on Medical Tourist Loyalty

Abstract

Medical tourism has been on a rapid rampage and the competition amongst various healthcare destinations has increased along with the significance of destination brand equity in bringing medical tourists in and retaining them. The healthcare destination brand not only drives the first choice of treatment abroad but also makes a difference to the patient's experience, trust, satisfaction and even loyalty. This study examines how the dimensions of brand awareness, perceived quality, brand image, trust and perceived value relate to medical tourist loyalty, and the connection between these dimensions and the destination brand of healthcare providers. Data were gathered using a quantitative research method through a structured questionnaire to the medical tourists who respectively underwent treatment at a recognized hospital in a leading medical tourist destination. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and multiple regression techniques to see the influence of brand equity dimensions to patient loyalty. The results show that perceived quality, trust and destination image are important factors to improve patient satisfaction and to increase the intention of re-visiting the hospital, whereas positive brand awareness and perceived value increase the recommendation of word-of-mouth. This study also shows that emotional confidence towards the healthcare provider and the destination in general are identified as mediating variables in the loyalty building process in the long term. The results emphasize the importance of supporting quality clinical facilities with destination branding. The study provides actionable insights for healthcare administrators, hospital management, DMOs, and policymakers to consider when deciding on their strategic brand-building campaigns for improved patient loyalty and international brand awareness. It also adds to the body of literature on medical tourism with providing an integrated view of the concept of brand and consumer loyalty in healthcare destinations, which will promote sustainable development of the international healthcare sector.