The nexus between interactional justice, multidimensional trust, and patient satisfaction in Nigerian public hospitals

PURPOSE: This study examines the association of interactional justice with two-dimensional trust and patient satisfaction within public hospitals in Gombe State, Nigeria. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Data were collected from 428 patients who accessed public healthcare services using convenience sampling and analysed with SmartPLS. A questionnaire was used to gather the data. The research employed a cross-sectional design to achieve its objective. FINDINGS: The findings indicate that interpersonal justice significantly enhances patient satisfaction, whereas informational justice influences satisfaction indirectly through cognitive trust. Emotional trust mediates the relationship between interpersonal justice and satisfaction. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings offer practical recommendations for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and hospital administrators to improve patient-provider relationships, enhance healthcare justice, and promote better health outcomes. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The originality of this research lies in its focus on examining the influence of interactional justice on patient satisfaction with trust as a multidimensional construct mediating this relationship within Nigeria's underexplored public healthcare context.