Can Cost and Quality Management-Oriented Innovation Enhance Patient Satisfaction in Medical Tourist Destination?

• Published in: Journal of quality assurance in hospitality & tourism Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 806 - 835
• Main Authors: Ghasemi, Matina, Sahranavard, Seyed Arash, Alola, Uju Violet, Hassanpoor, Edris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Binghamton Routledge 02.11.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: cost management-oriented innovation; innovation; Knowledge management; Medical tourism; Patient satisfaction; Quality management; quality management-oriented innovation
• ISSN: 1528-008X; 1528-0098
• DOI: 10.1080/1528008X.2022.2089438

Despite the active contribution, promotion, and emergent in medical tourism, few studies have examined the significant contribution of cost and quality management-oriented innovation on medical tourists. Hospital administrators' application of knowledge management practices buffers a yardstick for both innovation and patient-oriented. A total of 214 questionnaires were collected from general and functional managers in Iranian hospitals. partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to analyze the data using Smart PLS 3. The findings suggest that both cost- and quality-oriented innovation significantly increase patient satisfaction. Additionally, low-cost and high-quality services stand as mediating variables for patient satisfaction. By emphasizing on innovation and knowledge management, the current study's results indicate the significance of low-cost and high-quality services for satisfied patients. The study concludes with implications for research and directions for future study. For the first time, the current study proposed a model to examine how low-cost and high-quality services mediates the impact of cost and quality management-oriented innovation on patient satisfaction.