If a health service is to be perceived as satisfactory,
it needs to take into consideration such
expectations. Otherwise, in the highly competitive
and prolific market that health service providers
have entered,22 the latter run the risk of
not being preferred by the public. The public has
the power to cause irreparable damage to an
organizations reputation, and it is well known
that a tarnished reputation is not easily
restored.23,24 By paying respect to peoples
expectations, health care services are able to
maintain the publics trust in them. Another
reason why expectations should be given more
attention is the fact that combating illness consists
of more that medical treatment.13 It could
be argued here that expectations about the
health care environment, which includes both
technical and relational aspects, play a vital role
in the course of a treatment.
M