The Role of Trust as a Medic in Enhancing Employee Interpersonal Relationships and Service Quality to Patient Satisfaction in a Hospital Context– Conceptual Analysis

This study aims to explore the conceptual framework of the mediating role of patient trust in the relationship between employee interpersonal communication, service quality, and patient satisfaction, by adopting Planned Behavior Theory (TPB). The methodology used is a structured conceptual framework that synthesizes literature from various previous studies relevant to the development and analysis of conceptual models. The results of the analysis show that although employee interpersonal communication and service quality have a direct influence on patient satisfaction, the presence of empirical inconsistencies indicates the need for previously unidentified mediation variables. It is hoped that the presence of patient trust can bridge the gap in previous research. The originality of this research lies in its emphasis on the role of patient trust as a mediator, which has never been comprehensively explored in this context before. The practical implications of this study are the importance of designing better communication strategies and improving service quality to build patient trust, which in turn can improve patient satisfaction.