Patient’s reaction after health-care service failure : qualitative study

Purpose: This paper aims to show the impact of service failure and to shed light on the vengeance of consumer in the health-care service. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research through a retrospective study based on individual interviews was conducted. As this study is a sensitive topic, projective techniques were used to complement individual interviews, especially with care consumers who are reluctant subjects who prefer methods which preserve confidentiality. Practically, drawing interpretations method was used. The use of these drawings is to encourage reluctant interviewee to discuss on the study’s sensitive theme. Findings: Empirical findings allowed first to approach care service failure in Tunisia that is an emerging post-revolutionary country-owned MENA. In this context, a comparison between the public and private sectors was proposed. Moreover, the results helped to understand service failure’s consequences related to patient’s reaction. Practical implications: The Ministry of Health in collaboration with managers of public and private medical institutions will have to work on capitalization of knowledge, especially those learned from unsuccessful experiences. Originality/value: Medical service failure can have multiple sources. The care consumer’s reaction to these failures can sometimes be extreme in form of revenge.