The Effect of Hospital Brand Image and Motivational Factors on Behavioral Intentions from the Perspective of Medical Tourists: Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: With the rapid growth of medical tourism, the market's economic share has increased, and countries have begun to develop policies aimed at understanding the behavior of medical tourists in order to gain a share of this market. Therefore, the aim of this study is to reveal the effect of hospital image and motivational factors on behavioral intent from the perspective of medical tourists. Material and Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consists of medical tourists receiving healthcare services in Samsun. No sample selection was made for this study; instead, a random sampling method was used to administer a questionnaire to participants receiving healthcare services at institutions that agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected between March-December 2024. A total of 360 questionnaire forms were analyzed. Results: 33.6% of the participants were between 40-49 years old and 31.7% of them came from Georgia. A positive relationship was found between hospital image, accessibility, safety and security, country knowledge and awareness, potential of saving and behavioral intention (p<0.05, p<0.001). Behavioral intention is positively affected by hospital image, accessibility, safety and security, country knowledge and awareness, and potential of saving (p<0.05, p<0.001). Hospital image, accessibility, safety and security, country knowledge and awareness, and potential of saving explain 45.8% of the change in behavioral intention. Conclusion: The study shows that medical tourists' behavioral intentions are influenced by motivation and hospital image, and therefore destinations must improve both service quality and image in order to increase their competitiveness.