Uncovering the desired qualities and behaviours of general practitioners (GPs) during medical (service recovery) encounters

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to uncover the desired qualities and behaviours that believe GPs should have in medical (service recovery) encounters. In particular, we to reveal the qualities and behaviours of GPs that patients value, to understand the benefits that they look for during personal (service recovery) encounters, and to illustrate the findings in a so-called hierarchical value map. This will prove to be in order to understand patients’ needs and desires correctly. /Methodology/Approach – An exploratory research study using the qualitative interviewing technique was regarded as appropriate as it allows researchers to gain deeper insight into an underdeveloped research subject. In total, in-depth laddering with 38 respondents were conducted. – In case of a service recovery encounter, patients believe that GPs need to show , friendliness and empathy in order to restore trust in them. GPs should also listen and do the appropriate checks in order to find the root cause of the problem. “Health” the main value sought by patients. This value is considered by patients to be the gateway moving on with their everyday lives and search the attainment of other values such as wellbeing, , accomplishment and self-realization. Moreover, respondents would like gain knowledge about their disease in order to prevent them in the future and to have some of control over the decision of the treatment. Patients also want a more active role in the (service recovery) encounter, which calls for a more shared approach by GPs in the with their patients. limitations/implications – Due to the exploratory nature of the study in general the scope and size of its sample in particular, the findings are tentative in nature. As the involved patients from one large metropolitan area in the UK, the results cannot be beyond this group. implications – If GPs know what dissatisfied patients expect, they can adapt their to their patients’ underlying expectations, which should have a positive impact on evaluation of the doctor-patient relationship. For this purpose, the paper gives that can help GPs recover patients’ trust while at the same time improving performance in medical (service recovery) encounters. /value – This paper gives a valuable first insight into the desired qualities and of GPs during medical (service recovery) encounters. The study results especially that complaining patients are people first and patients second, where the primary is the satisfaction of basic social needs. The fact that this study has revealed the number of values in published laddering studies so far shows how crucial these (service recovery) encounters in general and GP qualities and behaviours in particular for patients. Another strong contribution of this paper is the finding that all the identified from the laddering interviews that are shown in the hierarchical value maps must not seen in strict isolation, as in previous research, but have to be understood as a network of concepts.