Determinants of Patient Satisfaction in Tertiary Healthcare: The Mediating Role of Patient - Perceived Empowerment

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of technical quality, service quality, doctor-patient communication, and patient-perceived empowerment on patient satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating effect of patient-perceived empowerment between technical quality, service quality, doctor-patient communication, and patient satisfaction is also explored. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach and a structured questionnaire was designed to collect data from inpatients and outpatients of tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. The data was collected using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 380 valid responses were collected, which were then analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4 software. The findings of the study indicate that service quality, communication, and patient-perceived empowerment have a significant positive impact on patient satisfaction, while technical quality does not have a significant positive impact on patient satisfaction. Moreover, the findings also indicate that patient-perceived empowerment has a significant positive mediating effect on the relationship between communication and patient satisfaction. However, the mediating effect of patient-perceived empowerment on the relationship between technical quality and patient satisfaction, and service quality and patient satisfaction is not supported. The study is confined to the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. This might affect the generalizability of the results to other areas or settings. The study is based on data collected from patients only, and the cross-sectional nature of the study restricts the establishment of causality. The results of the study emphasize the need to improve doctor-patient interactions, healthcare service accessibility, and patient empowerment to improve patient satisfaction. Healthcare professionals and policymakers should focus on patient satisfaction-oriented healthcare practices, patient empowerment in decision-making, and remove the hurdles to healthcare accessibility, especially in developing countries. The study makes an original contribution to the healthcare literature by incorporating technical quality, service quality, doctor-patient communication, and patient-perceived empowerment into a unified framework. The study provides new empirical insights into the mediating effect of patient-perceived empowerment, especially in the context of a developing country, and hence provides valuable theoretical and practical contributions.