Perceived Price of Healthcare Services and Consumer Satisfaction: A Qualitative Inquiry with Reference to Health Tourism

Abstract

Using a qualitative research design, this study investigates the connection between consumer satisfaction and perceived
healthcare service costs. Few studies have explored the subjective meanings and daily experiences of healthcare consumers,
despite the fact that quantitative studies have extensively explained the relationship between patient satisfaction and
healthcare pricing. This study examines the effects of fairness, transparency, value for money, and perceived affordability
in healthcare pricing on overall consumer satisfaction through semi-structured interviews with patients and healthcare
service users. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, and themes such as price fairness, affordability concerns,
bill transparency, unforeseen expenses, and price-value alignment surfaced. The findings show that perceived price plays
a significant role in determining satisfaction, especially in markets like India .The research increase value to the field of
helath tourism, healthcare marketing and consumer behavior in addition to providing advice for providers in enhancing
transparency and consumer confidence.