Abstract:

The aim of this study is to determine the level of patient loyalty in a university hospital and a training and research hospital and to state the differences of the level of patient loyalty according to socio-demographic features . Population of the study is outpatients from a training and research hospital and a university hospital in Ankara. The numbers of patients from these clinics have been identified and sample size obtained by the formula of sample size. Including 381 patients from training and research hospital and 375 patients from university hospital, totally 756 patients have been reached. As a result of the study, the means of training and research hospital’s patient loyalty was found average while the means of university hospital’s patient loyalty was found above-average. In addition to this, a statistically significant difference was found between the means of patient loyalty of both hospitals. On the other hand, some descriptive characteristics of the patients caused differences on patient loyalty. The variables of age, marital status, education level, income level, profession, having a chronic disease and hospital admissions in the last one year were found statistically significant. Having advantages like acquiring loyal patients, acquiring new patients through the loyal patients, reducing costs, making profit, monitoring patients easily is important for health institutions. Therefore, patient loyalty should have an important place in the marketing strategies which to be applied by the hospital and should be supported by the hospital management.

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