Purpose – This article studies the customer’s purchase intention to choose healthcare services in the post-
COVID-19 situation. The authors have used the most prominent SERVQUAL model to assess the service
quality offered to patients and each variable’s influence on customer intent to purchase healthcare services.

Design/methodology/approach – Tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, hospital image
and customer purchase intention are the variables considered for this study. Data have been collected from
customers who have recently experienced services in different hospitals. Standardized statements of the
SERVQUAL model and purchase intention were adapted and modified as per the requirements of the constructs.
Out of 271 filled questionnaires, the authors have undertaken the data cleaning process to circumvent any kind of
biasness; finally the authors have considered 225 questionnaires to conduct this research work.

Findings – This study’s findings indicate significant and positive relationships between service quality, hospital
image and customer purchase intention to choose hospital services. Additionally, the mediating role of hospital
image was confirmed in all four hypotheses.

Practical implications – The results of this study provide practitioners with valuable insights and guidance for
developing effective strategies for providing better services to patients.

Originality/value – Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to check the validity and reliability of all the
constructs. Due to the high correlation between tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy,
authors have created a second-order construct, i.e. service quality. Authors have also used structural equation
modeling (SEM) to inspect the associations between different constructs. Authors have measured the mediating
role of hospital image between the relationship of all the service quality dimensions and customer purchase
intention.