Consumer Behavior in Healthcare: The Impact of Brand Image and Service Quality on Patient Loyalty – An Analysis of Secondary Data from Life Care Hospital, Gorakhpur

Patient loyalty to hospitals is strongly impacted by their opinions of brand image and service quality, which are rapidly influencing the healthcare industry in India. Consumer Behaviour in Healthcare: The topic of the research study was “Consumer Behaviour in Healthcare: The Impact of Brand Image and Service Quality on Patients’ Loyalty – An Analysis of Existing Data from Life Care Hospital, Gorakhpur.” Online reviews provided the existing data from Google Maps, Practo, and Justdial, which provided us insights into patient experience. Based on the sentiment analysis conducted on the reviews’ text, patients typically referenced infrastructure, doctor's skill, and staff behaviour as the main contributors to their satisfaction, noting an overall positive sentiment towards Life Care Hospital. The regression and additional analyses identified a significant positive relationship between the loyalty of patients and image, however service quality was a stronger predictor of referrals and repeat business. Limitations reported by the patients regarding the hospital experience (waiting time and billing) did not alter the overall favorable patient sentiment associated with Life Care Hospital, thus confirming the earlier sentiment analysis. Data visualizations presented specific sentiment distributions and service quality ratings as evidence of representation towards Life Care Hospital. The implication of the data follows the promotion of a positive hospital image supporting the need for consistent quality care to encourage patient loyalty in the healthcare setting. This study contributes towards the literature exploring the role of digital platforms as external consumers’ decision-making influences based on existing data.