EFFECT OF SERVICE QUALITY AND HOSPITAL IMAGE ON SATISFACTION, TRUST, AND WORD OF MOUTH

This research aimed to analyze and test the effect of service quality on satisfaction, trust, and
word of mouth of patient families in a hospital. The research population were families of mental
disorder patients who were treated at the Special Hospital in South Sulawesi Province. The
model of this research used 23 indicators; therefore, the minimum sample size included 125
respondents.Then, this research found that service quality affected satisfaction, trust, and word of
mouth. While, hospital images influenced either trust and word of mouth. This research also
indicated that the effect of hospital image on satisfaction was insignificant. Furthermore, both
satisfaction and trust affected word of mouth.
Keywords: service quality, satisfaction, trust, and word of mouth