Understanding the moderating role of the professional service encounter in consumer perceptions of health service risks

Abstract

Correct understanding of the risks of treatments is essential for consumers of health services. Yet, existing research has not examined how consumers understand risk in mixed-market health service environments, where private sector firms operate alongside established public sector providers, such as is the case in the UK. As the range and complexity of private sector health services increases, there remains uncertainty about how individuals will perceive, and respond to, the risks involved in using such services. In this research, I examine the role of the professional service encounter as a moderator of risk perception. I manipulate two key variables in the service encounter: emotional labour and professional role. Emotional labour, and the perception by the consumer of affect arising from the use of emotional labour, is a key technique used by service employees to create empathy and increase consumer engagement. Professional role refers to the varying levels of credence attached by consumers to health professionals representing either the private or public sector.