Relationship quality in geriatric healthcare delivery: A sustainable model

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study is undertaken to examine geriatric relationship quality in healthcare delivery in Kerala. Drawing the hypothetical relationship, a model for elderly geriatric healthcare delivery to be developed. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique, based on a positivist approach, was employed to analyse the association between relationship quality and geriatric healthcare delivery. The data was collected from 405 elderly people in Kerala, using a survey questionnaire, between June 2020 and November 2020 adopting multi-stage sampling. The latent constructs used for the study were service quality, relationship quality and patient centricity. RESULTS: A consistent empirical model of predictive relationships between the hypothesized variables was found, and a geriatric relationship quality healthcare model was developed. It is found that service quality, relationship quality and patient centricity are highly significant in elderly healthcare delivery. Service quality has emerged as a significant determinant of relationship quality. Even though patient centricity is not hypothetically related to relationship quality, it is a significant determinant of service quality. CONCLUSION: Geriatric healthcare management must consider relationship quality as a prominent factor while evaluating the quality of healthcare delivery as it includes the outcome of all the structural and procedural aspects.