Situational antecedents of customer conflict and aggression toward healthcare professionals in the hospital setting

This study attempts to promote the understanding of customer aggression in the health care sector. Based on empirical data collected in a large public hospital we identify situational characteristics that significantly predict the aggressive tendencies of patients and escorting family members awaiting treatment in the emergency room. The predicting factors include perceived crowding, waiting time and the lack of an explanation of the service procedure. We further find that reported negative affect of the patient or escort mediates some of these effects.