Gratitude as a Mediator between Healthcare Service Quality and Engagement Behavior

Abstract

This study explores a mechanism whereby medical service users’ engagement behavior is established. The study proposes and empirically investigates medical service customers’ gratitude as a promising factor that prompts their engagement behavior for their service providers. The study presents a research model that addresses both direct effects and indirect effects among the quality of medical service, healthcare service customers’ gratitude, and their engagement behavior. Data collection was carried out by a professional research firm in South Korea. The findings of the study present a unique insight into the understanding of healthcare service users’ post-purchase behavior and underscore the significant role of the sense of gratitude in establishing their engagement behavior. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.