Control-Related Motivations, Capabilities, and Preferences Among Patients: The Roles of Primary and Secondary Control in Older Adulthood

Abstract

Despite the economic importance of a growing population of older consumers, many services researchers have ignored service quality issues related to elderly consumers. Perceived control is one psychological dimension wherein older adults may differ from their younger counterparts and among themselves. This paper proposes that efforts to enhance control perceptions of older adult patients should be a planned component of interactions between those patients and all health-care personnel. At least three categories of benefits may accrue: patients benefits (emotional and physical); social benefits (financial benefits to society); and managerial benefits (improvements in patient satisfaction, service quality perceptions, and loyalty). Two categories of control-enhancing behaviors, primary and secondary, are presented. Two evaluative dimensions, motivation and (perceived) ability to control, are advocated as means for assessing control-related behavior preferences among older adult patients. Techniques health-care personnel can use to enhance both primary and secondary control opportunities are suggested.