The Effect of Fear of Hospital on Trust in Physician Experienced in Healthcare Businesses: A Scale Adaptation, Reliability an Validity Study

Abstract

Purpose – According to the Service-Dominant Logic Theory, the effective structuring of doctor-patient interaction and trust in healthcare services directly affects the value of the healthcare service. Although it is emphasized that patients' fears and anxiety should be eliminated in the healthcare environment, there is a gap in the literature regarding the concept of fear of hospital in the context of out-patients. Therefore, this study analyzes the effect of hospital fear of outpatients on trust in physicians from whom they receive service in the hospitals they frequently prefer. Desing/ methodology/approach – For this purpose, it was aimed to adapt the Covid-19 Fear Scale under the name "Hospital Fear Scale", and to introduce them to the literature by testing their validity and reliability. The research was concluded with a valid survey number of 2432 between December 2023 and February 2024. Participants are spread across all geographical regions of Turkey. Findings – The highest participation occurs in the Central Anatolia Region with 72.9%. the rest of sample includes Marmara Region, Aegean Region, Black Sea Region, Mediterranean Region, Eastern Anatolia Region, and Southeastern Anatolia Region. Based on the findings, it was determined that the Hospital Fear Scale is a reliable and highly valid structure. As a result of the structural model test, fear of hospital negatively affects trust in physicians.Conclusion – In the process of co-creating value, it has been proven that not only healthcare institutions process the value of the service; the potential negative emotions of patients also can damage the trust in the physicians, which is a determinant of the value of healthcare services. When evaluating the outcomes of healthcare services, ignoring the psychologically based variables of patients leads to the disregard of the elements that can improve the performance of the national and global healthcare sector, and even public health, as well as the success of the healthcare institution.