PENGARUH KOMUNIKASI TERAPEUTIK TERHADAP LOYALITAS PASIEN DENGAN KUALITAS LAYANAN SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING DI POLI UMUM PUSKESMAS PESANGGRAHAN KABUPATEN MOJOKERTO TAHUN 2026

Abstract

Outpatient services, particularly general outpatient clinics, are among the main services provided by community health centers because they directly serve a large number of patients. Effective therapeutic communication and good service quality are essential for creating positive patient experiences and maintaining patient loyalty. This study aimed to analyze the effect of therapeutic communication on patient loyalty, with service quality as an intervening variable, at the General Outpatient Clinic of Pesanggrahan Community Health Center, Mojokerto Regency. This study employed an observational analytic design with a cross-sectional approach. The study population consisted of all patients attending the General Outpatient Clinic of Pesanggrahan Community Health Center, with an average of 451 patients per month. A total of 271 respondents were selected using accidental sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regression. The results showed that therapeutic communication and service quality were generally rated as good, with mean scores of 35.8 out of 40 and 90.6 out of 104, respectively. Therapeutic communication had a significant effect on patient loyalty, with an odds ratio of 4.58 p=0.00295% CI:1.76–11.92. Service quality also had a significant effect on patient loyalty, with an odds ratio of 6.93 p<0.00195% CI:2.50–19.18. Therapeutic communication, service quality, and trust contributed 70.6% to patient loyalty. Service quality functioned as an intervening variable in the relationship between therapeutic communication and patient loyalty. The community health center should maintain and improve therapeutic communication, service quality, and patient trust through effective communication training and continuous service quality improvement.