title: Understanding patients' behavioral intentions: evidence from Iran's private hospitals industry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the ever-increasing competitive market of private hospital industry, creating a strong relationship with the customers that shapes patients' loyalty has been considered a key factor in obtaining market share. The purpose of this paper is to test a model of customer loyalty among patients of private hospitals in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2010. The study samples composed of 969 patients who were consecutively selected from eight private hospitals. The survey instrument was designed based on a review of the related literature and included 36 items. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the service quality construct, three dimensions extracted: Process, interaction, and environment. Both process and interaction quality had significant effects on perceived value. Perceived value along with the process and interaction quality were the most important antecedents of patient overall satisfaction. The direct effect of the process and interaction quality on behavioral intentions was insignificant. Perceived value and patient overall satisfaction were the direct antecedents of patient behavioral intentions and the mediators between service quality and behavioral intentions. Environment quality of service delivery had no significant effect on perceived value, overall satisfaction, and behavioral intentions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to previous similar studies, the role of service quality was investigated not in a general sense, but in the form of three types of qualities including quality of environment, quality of process, and quality of interaction.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.forename: Seyed Mahmoud Ghazi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tabatabaei
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rashidian
authors.forename: Abbas Rahimi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Forushani
authors.forename: Roghayeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khabiri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires