Patient-Centred Care: An Integrated Bibliometric and Structural Equation Modelling Approach

This study investigates how communication and service quality in Patient Relationship Management impact patient satisfaction through trust. The literature in this field is predominantly in developed countries, whereas it is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. Combining bibliometric analysis and structural equation modelling, the study highlights emerging research trends and provides empirical evidence to guide healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in improving patient care. To strengthen its theoretical foundation, the study integrates the Social Exchange Theory and Expectancy–Disconfirmation Theory to explain the model. The study retrieved quantitative data from the Scopus database for bibliometric analysis. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 310 patients for SEM analysis using purposive sampling. Bibliometric findings revealed that while “patient satisfaction” is widely studied, key relational constructs such as trust, communication, and service quality are underutilized, with lower keyword occurrences and limited co-citation networks. This indicates a gap in the literature and highlights the need for empirical investigation of these dimensions. The result of the structural equation modelling revealed that communication and trust had significant direct effects on satisfaction. Service quality had an insignificant direct effect on satisfaction. Trust was found to have a significant mediation effect on the link between communication, service quality, and satisfaction. Patient level of education had a significant moderating effect on the association between perceived service quality, communication, and satisfaction. The study explores provider-patient interaction dynamics within healthcare institutions using a mixed-methods framework, contributing to scholarly discussions and benefiting lawmakers and managers.