Predictors of hospital brand trust and medical tourists’ satisfaction: A case of sarawak Malaysia

Purpose - As medical tourism has become increasingly popular in recent years, competition has become more intense. Branding hospitals through brand trust is a marketing strategy to remain competitive. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of advertisement, safety and security, and word-of-mouth on hospital brand trust. Furthermore, the influence of the hospital's brand trust, perceived service quality, and the satisfaction of medical tourists should be analysed. Methodology/Design/Approach - This quantitative study adopted purposive and quota sampling by distributing a self-administered survey questionnaire to medical tourists in three private hospitals in Sarawak. The collected data were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. Findings - The findings revealed that advertisement, safety and security, and word-of-mouth have a significant positive relationship with hospital brand trust. In addition, the interrelationship between hospital brand trust, perceived service quality, and patient satisfaction is significantly positive. Originality of the research - The novelty of this research is that it examines how hospital brand trust can influence the quality of services provided by healthcare providers.