Perceived Destination Image Of India Private Hospitals Among Sub-Saharan African Patients
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Date
2018-09
Authors
Mohammad Jamal Khan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
India has emerged as one of the rapidly growing medical travel destinations and has attained its position as global leader in providing medical care to international medical travelers. Evidences show that sub-Saharan African patients visit India in large number to receive medical procedures. However, review of literature and the practical evidences available give impression that African travelers face different types of problems while visiting India including violent attacks, harassment and prejudices. Therefore, it has become important to understand the travel behavior of sub-Saharan African patients so that their issues can be identified and the measures can be taken to ensure their continuous arrival to India. The objectives of the study were to investigate the relationships between travel motivation, perceived travel risks, travel constraints, and destination image that ultimately lead to develop intention to visit India among sub-Saharan African patients. The convenience sampling method was used and 700 questionnaires were distributed to sub-Saharan African patients at the foreign patient department of two large private hospitals in Delhi and NCR, out of which 342 were returned with 48.85% of response rate. After thorough scrutiny, 306 returned questionnaires were used for data analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) through partial least square (PLS) approach was used and smartPLS 3.2.7 software was used to test the study hypotheses. The findings of the data analysis revealed that destination image based on medical attributes was the strongest predictor for the visit intention of sub-Saharan African patients. The destination image based on non-medical attributes and benefits were also the strong predictors of visit intention. The findings revealed that travel motivation of sub-Saharan African patients had positive influence on destination image based on medical attributes and benefits. The study found that service quality risk was negatively related to destination image based on medical attributes. The travel constraints of sub-Saharan African patients were negatively related to all three dimensions of destination image. The findings of the study provide important information to the hospitals and destination marketing managers that in context of international medical travel perceptions about destination among medical travelers play key role in the formation of visit. The perceptions about destination can be managed by identifying and capturing the travel motivations and reducing the perceptions of risks and constraints.
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Keywords
medical care