Determinants of People's Selection of Healthcare Provider: A Comparative Study on Private and Public Hospitals in Kollam District, Kerala

Sreekumar. G., Research Scholar Department of Management Studies, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Anitha S., Assistant Professor Loyola College of Social Sciences, Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Preena V . MSc Nursing, MBA (Hospital Management)

Keywords: healthcare provider, people's choice, public and private hospitals, personalized care,information technology.

Now a days, people are sensible and alert regarding their health. They often seek information about any

medical issues they might be facing and consider alternatives before coming to a decision. And when it

comes to choosing hospital, behaviors of the staff, outside reputation of the hospital, quality of care, and

hygiene conditions concern them. Patients nowadays want to be updated regularly; they want swift

treatment and personalized care.The state of Kerala is a place that's famous for its high literacy rates and a

robust healthcare system, the state has genuinely embraced technology in healthcare. Both the public and

private hospitals are really putting in the effort to make healthcare more efficient, patient-friendly, and

easier to access for everyone.The government hospitals are actively embracing IT through state-supported

programs and central initiatives such as the e-Health Kerala project. It's goal is to create a centralized digital

healthcare platform, provide each citizen with a unique health identification and integrated digital health

records. Currently private hospitals in Kerala adopt state-of -the art technologies.Many institutions adopt

technology - oriented information systems, electronic health records(EHR),online appointment booking,

digital payment options,customer satisfaction surveys, and cloud data storage.The data accuracy and

favourable patient experience resulted in trusted hospital services. The current study focused on analyzing

the factors determining people's selection of public and private hospitals in the Kollam district of Kerala.

The study adopted descriptive research methodology, intends to differentiate the choice factors of the

general public regarding the selection of government and private hospitals for their treatment. The study

concluded by identifying several significant factors for the selection of both government and private

hospital for a given geographic area.