Background This study explores the effects and influence paths of service quality, brand image, perceived value, and service satisfaction on outpatients’ loyalty to China’s private dental clinics. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China in January 2019. The participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. Of the 230 residents surveyed, 125 had received services in private dental clinics, being the valid sample of this study. A multiple linear regression model was used in exploring factors influencing patient loyalty. Subsequently, the path analysis was used in investigating the relationships among service quality, brand image, perceived value, patient satisfaction, and patient loyalty. Results After the effects of demographic and socioeconomic variables were controlled, perceived value and patient satisfaction showed significant influences on patient loyalty. Path analysis indicated that perceived value, perceived quality, and expected quality have direct effects on patient satisfaction and have indirect effects on patient loyalty, and patient satisfaction is a mediator. Conclusion Perceived service quality influences patient loyalty through the effect of patient satisfaction, which plays a key role in promoting patient loyalty. This study implies that managers in private dental clinics can gain support from customers by building customer loyalty toward dental clinics.

Taking the modified Anderson health behavior model as the analysis framework and relying on 1136 empirical research data of S District in Foshan City, Guangdong Province of China, this study explores the influence of predisposing factors, enabling factors and need factors on the utilization of community-based health services among older adults in China. The results show that three variables have a significant impact on the use of family health services, which are whether the pension is the main source of living, income surplus, and major expenditure items. Seven variables have a significant impact on the use of preventive health services, which are household registration type, the basic endowment insurance coverage, the nature of the working unit before retirement, the self-rated health status, chronic diseases, self-care ability in daily life, and preventive health care needs.

After the spread of COVID‐19, the Chinese central government has issued a series of policies and regulations to guide the prevention and control of the epidemic in the elderly care industry. Social workers provided a series of services for older adults in nursing homes and in the community. All efforts made by government agencies and social workers have helped older adults go through the difficult time.

Abstract In China, social service contracting is a new phenomenon even in the most developed cities and areas. The action that the government contracts with non-government organizations in delivering community service is merely a local initiative under the context of social administration reform. There are scarce theoretical and empirical discussions relevant to social service contracting in Chinese academic community. In the light of this gap, this article draws on literature of social service contracting in developed countries or cities to understand key elements ensuring an effective contracting and impacts of contracting. Available literature on social service contracting in China is used for discussion to understand the development of social service contracting in China. Public and social services contracting in China can be briefly divided into three models: non-competitive contracting model, competitive contracting model and informal contracting model. Factors influencing the implementation of contracting programs in China are concerned with the participation of sufficient NGOs, the roles and attitudes of government agencies and the relationship and the interaction between stakeholders. The contracting programs both have positive and negative impacts on service provision.

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