The relationship between consumer orientation, service value, medical care service quality and patient satisfaction: The case of a medical center in Southern Taiwan

The competition among hospitals in Taiwan has become more and more intense, especially since National Health Insurance has come into effect. The number of so-called "mega" hospitals is growing while the number of patients is limited. In this competitive environment, hospitals have to carry out their business not only by maintaining the balance between quality and cost, but also by increasing interaction with their customers (patients). Customer-oriented services are what will give hospitals their core competitive edge for sustainable development. The key to maintain good relationships with customers is based on analyzing data related to customer satisfaction, strengthening medical service quality and providing tailor-made service. By doing so, hospitals can develop a more valuable relationship with their customers. This study was conducted by questionnaire. The purpose is to examine the correlation between customer orientation, medical service quality, service value and patient satisfaction in relation to medical service providers located in southern Taiwan. The data were analyzed with statistical methods such as Pearson's correlation analysis, linear structure relation and analysis of variance. Our findings indicate that: (1) Customer orientation, medical service quality and value of patients are positively related to each other and patient satisfaction is influenced by these three constructs and; (2) There are significant differences shown by patients with different perceptions of customer orientation in relation to service quality and patient satisfaction constructs and so on, but no difference in relation to service constructs.