Expectancy Processes in the Health Care Interaction Sequence

This article presents a sequential analysis of health care interactions and examines the roles that the expectations of both care seekers and care providers play in affecting the outcomes of these interactions. Health care interactions follow a sequence of five steps: (a) the potential patient decides to seek medical attention, and (b) presents the problem to a physician; (c) the physician diagnoses the problem and selects a treatment, and (d) presents the treatment to the patient; (e) the patient adheres to the prescribed treatment. This series of decisions and interactions must be completed successfully if a person is to receive proper medical treatment. The rich expectancy literatures in the areas of health psychology and social perception are summarized to show the effects that expectations are likely to have at each step in the interaction and the ways that expectations often interfere with the successful treatment of illness.