Brand image to loyalty through perceived service quality and patient satisfaction: A conceptual framework.

Brand image (BI) is a relatively new concept in the healthcare sector and its value is important for healthcare organizations to survive in this competitive era. Extant research in academics shows the diversity in determinants of patient satisfaction (PS), perceived service quality (PSQ), loyalty and brand image (BI) in the healthcare sector. The large numbers of existing studies mainly emphasize constructs such as PS, PSQ or the relationship between these two, taking into consideration other factors like cost and loyalty. The purpose of this study is to systematically review and summarize current research as well as propose a conceptual model of hospital brand image and its impact on patient loyalty through PSQ and PS. We provide a research framework for future theoretical and empirical studies on the impact of BI on patient loyalty.