Analyzing Health-Care Service Environment With Malaysian General Practice Clinics

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the private general practice (GP) clinics' service environment, patients' satisfaction and their impact on word of mouth (WoM) for others for future treatment in GP clinics. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from 367 respondents using a paper-based survey questionnaire. Partial least square (PLS) is used to evaluate the proposed model and hypotheses relationships. Findings The findings reveal that ambience and service delivery have a high significant influence on patients' emotional satisfaction (beta = 0.27, t = 4.31, p = 0.00) and (beta = 0.26, t = 4.81, p = 0.00), respectively, while interior decor has a positive and significant influence on satisfaction (beta = 0.13, t = 1.98, p = 0.04). The results indicate that exterior design and cleanliness are not associated with satisfaction. Patients' emotional satisfaction is highly related to WoM (beta = 0.55, t = 13.44, p = 0.00). The results also show that emotional satisfaction has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between clinic service environments (ambience, interior decor, service delivery) and WoM (beta = 0.15, t = 3.94, p = 0.00), (beta = 0.073, t = 3.94, p = 0.04), (beta = 0. 0.143, t = 4.13, p = 0.00), respectively. Originality/value The study will provide insights regarding Malaysian health consumers' perceptions toward GP clinics' service environment, whether they remain utilitarian or have evolved to entail hedonic appreciations. The contribution to the service environment could be adopted by future health-care studies, particularly those intended to examine GP clinics and other clinic-based institutions.