Susanne Fischer has received her Ph.D.

Ph.D. with "magna cum laude": Susanne Fischer, former research associate and doctoral candidate at THI Business School, has successfully completed her cooperative doctorate with the Catholic University (KU) Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Her Ph.D. thesis is entitled "Die Bedeutung der Einweiserbindung für den wirtschaftlichen Erfolg eines Krankenhauses – eine empirische Untersuchung am Beispiel der Region 10" (engl.: The importance of referral loyalty for the economic success of a hospital - an empirical study using Region 10 as an example). In it, she explored, among other things, the question of what influence physicians have on their patients when selecting a hospital for elective procedures. Such elective procedures can be planned largely freely in terms of timing because the patients' health is not immediately threatened. From the perspective of the clinics, close contacts with the referring physicians are essential as so-called "gatekeepers" and for directing patient flows. The aim of the thesis was to investigate factors influencing referral loyalty as well as their mechanisms of action on the economic success of a hospital.  

Her doctoral advisor at KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt was Prof. Dr. Joachim Genosko. At THI Business School, Fischer was supervised by Prof. Dr. Andrea Raab-Kuchenbuch, Professor of Marketing and Service Management, as part of the female professors program.

The thesis can be found at the following address.
https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-ku-eichstaett/frontdoor/index/index/searchtype/latest/docId/682/start/0/rows/10