Exploring patient loyalty in telemedicine through bibliometric analysis and future horizons
Authors: Recuero-Virto Nuria 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
In an era of rapid telemedicine expansion, patient loyalty is paramount for effective health-care delivery. This study aims to understand loyalty behaviours in telemedicine to refine services. The primary objectives are to elucidate the current state of scholarly inquiry concerning loyalty within the telemedicine sphere and to address existing research deficiencies within this domain. This exploration seeks to provide valuable insights and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this critical area of inquiry.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a bibliometric analysis to investigate patient loyalty in telemedicine. By reviewing existing literature and analysing bibliometric data, the research identifies key deficiencies and addresses pertinent research questions within the telemedicine loyalty domain. This methodological approach aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research and highlight areas requiring further investigation.

Findings
This study reveals significant gaps in existing research on telemedicine loyalty, identifying a need for more focused studies on patient loyalty behaviours. Through a bibliometric analysis, the findings highlight critical areas for improvement and potential strategies for enhancing patient loyalty in telemedicine. These insights are crucial for refining telemedicine services and ensuring effective health-care delivery.

Research limitations/implications
The findings may not capture all dimensions of patient loyalty in telemedicine, requiring further empirical studies. Future research should expand on these limitations by incorporating diverse methodologies and broader data sets to validate and extend the study’s insights.

Practical implications
The insights from this study can help health-care providers refine their telemedicine services to enhance patient loyalty. By understanding loyalty behaviours, providers can develop targeted strategies to improve patient satisfaction and retention. These practical implications are essential for the continuous improvement of telemedicine services, ensuring they meet patient needs and expectations effectively.

Social implications
Enhancing patient loyalty in telemedicine leads to significant societal benefits, particularly by improving health-care access for underserved populations in rural or economically disadvantaged areas. Continuous and trusted care helps reduce health-care disparities and fosters health equity, positively impacting quality of life through timely medical consultations. In the context of medical tourism, telemedicine facilitates reliable remote consultations, boosting confidence in health-care systems abroad and benefiting local economies. In addition, tourists can access health-care services while travelling, enhancing their sense of safety and well-being. Overall, these advancements highlight telemedicine’s potential to create a more equitable and accessible health-care landscape.

Originality/value
This study fills a critical gap in telemedicine research by focusing on patient loyalty, an area often overlooked in existing literature. The bibliometric analysis offers a novel approach to understanding and addressing loyalty behaviours. The findings contribute valuable knowledge, advancing the discourse on telemedicine loyalty and providing a foundation for future research and service improvements.