From Servicescape to Loyalty in the Medical Tourism Industry: A Medical Clinic’s Service Perspective

Abstract

Medical tourism organizations have increasingly recognized that loyalty makes a medical clinic a marketing success. To increase understanding of the importance of medical clinics, this study examined the roles of servicescapes, emotions, and satisfaction in the development of customer loyalty toward medical clinics and destination. Data were collected among international medical tourists visiting Korea. Results identified that dimensions of medical clinics’ servicescape (ie, medical clinic environment, medical treatment, staff, and doctor) influenced emotions and satisfaction among international medical tourists. Also, positive emotions and the 2 dimensions of satisfaction with a medical clinic and doctor mediate the influence of medical clinics’ servicescapes on 2 types of loyalty (the medical clinic and Korea for medical care). Overall, these findings indicate that the interrelationship of servicescapes, positive emotion, and satisfaction is essential in influencing international medical tourists’ loyalty to a medical clinic.

A bilingual systematic review of South Korean medical tourism: a need to rethink policy and priorities for public health?

“…After review, seven articles were excluded based on a review of the focus of the paper after reviewing the abstract and then reviewing the full text. The major themes identified in the literature focused on: (a) formal policy reviews of South Korea's medical tourism industry [20]; (b) analysis of current barriers, challenges and successes experienced by the South Korean medical tourism industry [21][22][23][24][25]; (c) proposals to assess the performance of the South Korean medical tourism industry [26]; (d) assessment of utilizing the healthcare worker education system to support further development of the medical tourism industry [27]; (e) examining the relationship between employee satisfaction and performance of medical tourism facilitators [28]; (f) analysis of the effects of price and health consciousness and satisfaction associated with the South Korean medical tourism experience [29,30]; and (g) factors associated with why certain patients choose to participate in medical tourism in South Korea [31][32][33].…”

“…Among these countries, a number of these "key destinations" are countries in Asia that have instituted aggressive policy initiatives seeking to promote medical tourism as a critical part of their national economic development strategy (see Table 6 for summary). Specifically, the Thai, Indian, and Singaporean governments have provided official government support for their medical tourism industries as part of a broader agenda of economic development and tourism expansion by way of various policy initiatives, including taking part in large international trade conferences and actively advertising the attractiveness of their respective medical tourism services [24,29,32]. For example, the success of the Thai medical tourism private sector, such as Bumrungrad Hospital, has encouraged the government to increase government involvement [30,40,53].…”

Re-Investigating the Roles of Green Service-scape to Improve Tourism Performance Marketing Service Dominant Logic Perspective: A Literature Review

“…The research themes around service-scape dynamics include two large parts, namely physical environmental cues and hospitality services. Physical environment such as environmental conditions, spatial layout and functions as well as signs, symbols, and artifacts (Kim et al 2017). The neighborhood includes recreational spaces such as amusement parks.…”

“…Building arrangement with good architects / unique / typical of the area, maintaining cleanliness and neatness, creating everything is good to look at, professionalism, development of places, complete entertainment, furniture, lobby, biaskop space, develop the hospitality industry (e.g. , (Min, Hyun, Kim, & Lee, 2017),, (Kim et al, 2017),, (Akaka & Vargo, 2015). Organizing aesthetic design, layout, providing other offerings customer needs, creating specialization services, building communication with patients / families, focusing on health services, building health partners, organizing, events, attractions, building information systems, providing ease of access, communication skills, providing transportation, building a network of travel agencies, providing comfort, maintaining hospitality, quick response, being a rule model of hygiene management, waste processing and providing Health services (e.g.…”

“…Expanding the proposed framework from an individualistic cultural context (Western) to a more collectivist cultural context (East) . 13) Future research is needed to achieve a better understanding of how many customers and restaurant segments influence consumer perception (Han et al, 2018) 14) Enhance holistic experience through physical environmental design (Min et al, 2017) 15) Connecting six dimensions with satisfaction and intention to buy back (Guglielmetti et al, 2016) 16) Improve "click" stay application for ease of service restaurants, hospitals, airports, travel agencies, markets, hotels (Sheng), (Durna et al, 2015), (Kim et al, 2017) 17) Creating green holistic service products (Lunardo et al, 2016).…”