From Satisfaction to Wellbeing: Rethinking Public Healthcare Quality Through Doctor-Patient Work Alliances

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 19: Medical Work

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between citizen satisfaction and wellbeing among at-risk cancer patients. Through interviews, the research identifies two distinct dynamics: ser-vice satisfaction tied to doctor-patient relationships and wellbeing linked to the formation of work alliances. While patients expressed high satisfaction with hospital doctors due to per-sonal, continuous engagement, this did not consistently translate into improved wellbeing. The findings reveal that satisfaction metrics can mislead policymakers if interpreted as indi-cators of service quality. Instead, assessing wellbeing and doctor-patient work alliances of-fers deeper insights into the impact of public services, which may advance public service quality in healthcare and beyond.

Author

• Marie Østergaard Møller, Aalborg Universitet