The effect of medical tourism preference factors on patient satisfaction and loyalty

Travelling abroad for the purposes of receiving treatment or maintaining well-being is known as the "medical tourism". As an outcome of technological advancement, development and transformation in health sector has generated an enormous industry. A series of countries, including Turkey, aim at becoming among the leading countries of this industry. This study, conducted in order to determine the effect of medıcal tourısm preference factors on patıent satısfactıon and loyalty, includes 415 medical tourists receiving medical services in Ankara and Istanbul and selected through simple randomized sampling participation. A four-part survey is utilized as the evaluation method. The first chapter of the survey contains questions looking into socio-demographic qualities, whereas the second includes questions to identify the purpose of the visit, budget, environment around medical tourism, overall health status, quality of life, insurance status, and received health services. In the third chapter preference factors scale, and in the fourth chapter loyalty and overall satisfaction scales are used. The study benefits from three scales. Expert opinion is ensured for the evaluation of the validity to safeguard that use of survey and scales are utilized in line with the purpose of the study. Data collected through the study were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SSPS), Windows and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). With a view to testing the scale reliability, "Reliability Analysis, and "Item Total Score Correlation" is used. For testing structural validity "Exploratory Factor Analysis" program is used. "Confirmatory Factor Analysis" is completed for structural validity of AMOS program use. To test the research hypotheses, set forth in line with developed model, "Path Analysis", which is a Structural Equality Model, is done. Following the finalization of "Power Analysis" the study found out; i) the environment of the chosen country for medical tourism, ii) the tourism destination, iii) the medical tourism costs, iv) the facility and services have meaningful and positive impact on, shown in the same order, medical clinical satisfaction, physician satisfaction medical clinic loyalty, loyalty to Turkey as the choice of medical treatment and the overall satisfaction. Furthermore, meaningful and positive relations are observed between the satisfaction and the loyalty and the overall satisfaction , and the overall satisfaction and the loyalty to Turkey as the choice of medical treatment.