Gifts or Bribes?

Informal payments are quite common in many countries, especially developing countries, to facilitate access to public services and ensure quality of services. Health care is one sector where informal payments are often used. Patients give doctors, nurses, and hospital staff gifts or money or offer services in exchange for health services. This article combines vignettes with in-depth interviews to explore how Romanians assess the practice of informal payments. The vignettes served as a starting point, an opening for the interviews that facilitated a deeper investigation of people's attitudes.