Author(s): Balqees Ahmed, Robyn Albers and Laura L. Matherly
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of supportive and nonmedical amenities, i.e., services and gifts, to the hospital patient and whether these amenities are associated with important patient outcomes such as satisfaction, pain, stress, mood, recovery, well-being and intention to return. Methods: Based on a literature review of anthropology, sociocultural and consumer research, a theoretical model, hypotheses and survey were developed and tested in a sample of 167 hospital respondents from 14 hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Results: Support amenities were important to respondents and related to health benefits and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was a strong predictor of behavioral intentions. In the final analysis, satisfaction with support amenities made an important contribution to future intentions through the full mediating effect of patient satisfaction. There were no direct effects from amenity satisfaction to future intentions. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the patient experience with a hospital is comprised of a complex chain of service and product experiences that are interpreted in an ontological framework that include nonclinical complementary aspects in the healthcare environment. Originality: This research offers new insights into understanding patient centered care and extends the construct of patient support to include new dimensions in a new context. Consequently, this study adds to the body of evidential research regarding determinants of patient satisfaction and outcomes with implications to a hospital’s marketing strategy and care delivery.