Modeling patient perceptions of service recovery: The effects of perceived fairness on health center repatronage

Abstract

Repatronage intentions towards Taiwanese health centers that had received patient complaints and implemented service recovery were investigated. Valid samples (N = 168) were collected from the complaint behavior of patients resulting from their experiences of service failures in health centers. Results indicate that perceptions of distributive fairness and procedural fairness in health centers were related to repatronage intentions. In contrast, interactional fairness did not have the anticipated relationship with repatronage intentions. Consequently, health centers personnel should identify themselves with patients' concerns and take a caring and sympathetic attitude towards them so as to encourage people to revisit the health centers.