Leveraging word-of-mouth as a payback from patients of private hospitals: the role of healthcare quality delivery

This study investigates healthcare quality delivery as a potential way of achieving word-of-mouth and some beneficial outcomes that serve as customers' payback to private hospitals. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed to assess key relationships. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data from 481 volunteer patients of private hospitals in Accra. Pearson's correlation test and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to present findings. Healthcare quality in terms of tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness is positively associated with patients' word-of-mouth communication, which in turn makes a significant positive effect on hospital revisits, number of new patients referred, and service experience (of existing patients) at 1% significance level. The study concludes that private hospitals can improve their revenue base and make their services sustainable by achieving and improving patients' word-of-mouth communication through the delivery of quality healthcare.