Patients’ expectations of the conduct of the medical professional who is the subject of the complaint (n=424).* Values are percentages of patients
| Expectation of what the professional should do | Degree of importance accorded by patients | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Very important | Important | Not important | |
| Admit a mistake when it has occurred | 84 | 7 | 2 |
| Explain how the incident could have happened | 65 | 14 | 9 |
| Offer an apology | 41 | 22 | 24 |
| Show sympathy for what I went through | 38 | 21 | 29 |
| Make an effort to recover our relationship | 15 | 17 | 53 |
*From Friel et al7