THE IMPORTANCE OF WORD OF MOUTH COMMUNICATION ON HEALTHCARE MARKETING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CONSUMERS’ INTENTION TO USE HEALTHCARE

Abstract

This study aims, to determine the influence of word of mouth communication with regards to the consumers’ purchase intention on healthcare. The empirical part of the study was conducted with 430 consumers over the age of 18 living in Yozgat province. Questionnaire forms were used to obtain data, which were analyzed through SPSS 22 package software for reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. 68.1 % of the participants are explored to have recommendation on healthcare issue through word of mouth communication. The study has determined that 95.8% of participants express satisfaction while 94.7% of them do express dissatisfaction after the use of healthcare services. According to the results, references, internet and social network are the first contact tools, and medical specialists along with those who have already bought the service are the most effective source of information in regards to health service consumption. It also shows that all of the sub-dimensions of word of mouth communication have a positive influence on purchase intention.

Keywords

• Word of Mouth Communication,Word of Mouth Marketing,Health Institution Preference,Healthcare Preference,Purchase Intention

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