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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the influence of service quality and corporate image of Brazil’s National Cancer Institute (INCA) on the satisfaction of its outpatients. Design/methodology/approach The study is quantitative, with data collected from a self-administered structured questionnaire answered by a sample of 434 outpatients of Hospital do Câncer I, the largest and oldest hospital operated by the INCA. The data were treated with covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that the corporate image of the INCA was the main factor having a positive influence on the patients’ satisfaction, followed by the quality of the services rendered by physicians and the quality of the hospital’s facilities. Originality/value The study shows that unlike indicated by the theory, quality does not have a direct impact on satisfaction with the nursing services, but rather an indirect impact via corporate image. Even though part of the explanation can be the fact that only outpatients were surveyed, who have less interaction with the nursing team than do inpatients, this result shows the strength of the hospital’s corporate image regarding patients’ satisfaction. Besides this, the study identified that hospitals with a strong corporate image transmit to patients the perception that they are being treated by technically qualified professionals, thus increasing the chances of cure and reduced suffering. This is fundamental for patients’ satisfaction, as most are unable to understand the technical attributes of the service. The study adds to the scarce Brazilian literature on the causal relation between the image of hospitals and their patients’ satisfaction.

Financial services, and credit in particular, are consumed like any other product or service: they carry cultural meaning and are used symbolically to transfer meaning to the life of the consumer. This study aimed to investigate the symbolic meanings attached to financial services and credit by poor consumers and how these meanings are translated into their social lives. The research adopted an interpretive approach, based on in-depth interviews of poor consumers. The results showed that financial services are part of a complex web of meanings in which issues such as status, hierarchy, distinction, cooperation, and reciprocity play a part.RESUMEN. Los servicios financieros y especialmente el crédito se consumen como cualquier otro producto o servicio: 227 contienen un significado cultural y se usan simb o olicamente para transferir significado a la vida del consumidor. El prop o osito de este estudio es investigar el significado simb o olico que los consumidores pobres dan a los servicios financieros y líneas crediticias, y la forma en que los mismos se traducen a sus vidas sociales. La investigaci o on adopt o o un enfoque interpretativo, basado en amplias entrevistas con consumidores pobres. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que los servicios financieros son parte integrante de una compleja red de significados donde temas tales como el estado, la jerarquía, la distinci o on, cooperaci o on y reciprocidad tienen un papel a jugar.RESUMO. Os serviços financeiros, e o crédito, em particular, são consumidos como qualquer outro produto ou serviço: eles carregam um significado cultural, sendo usados, simbolicamente, para proporcionar um sentido à vida do consumidor. O prop o osito deste estudo é investigar os significados simb o olicos atrelados aos serviços financeiros e ao crédito pelos consumidores de baixa renda e como tais significados refletem-se na sua vida social. A pesquisa adotou uma abordagem interpretativa, baseada em entrevistas abrangentes com consumidores pobres. Os resultados mostraram que os serviços financeiros fazem parte de uma complexa trama de significados, onde temas como status, hierarquia, excelência, cooperação e reciprocidade exercem um papel específico.

Holt (1998) averiguou a aplicao do consumo como forma de adquirir status realizando pesquisas nos Estados Unidos e na Turquia (HOLT; STNER, 2010). A presente pesquisa baseou-se neste ltimo estudo e teve como objetivos : a) estudar se o consumo de produtos culturais seria uma forma de construir status; b) investigar qual a relao destes produtos com o capital cultural das mulheres da nova classe mdia. O consumo de produtos culturais mostrou-se fundamental para construo das estratgias de status e o capital cultural mostrou-se determinante na escolha destes produtos. Concluiu-se que os produtos culturais utilizados variaram conforme o maior ou menor capital cultural das entrevistadas. O uso do conceito de capital cultural possibilitou um maior entendimento da construo dos gostos e prticas de consumo .

Purpose This study aims at verifying the impact of literacy on over-the-counter (OTC) drug consumer vulnerability as evaluated by health literacy and label comprehension. Design/methodology/approach The item response theory (IRT) was used to estimate the health literacy of two groups and the two-way analysis of variance tests was used to test the hypotheses for the existence of mean differences between the two populations. The convenience sample involved 188 OTC consumers: 94 (50%) poorly literate and 94 (50%) university students/graduates. Findings University consumers/graduates have a level of health literacy and label comprehension that is superior to those presented by poor literate consumers. Also, age does not influence the level of health literacy by OTC drug users but has a significant impact on the understanding of OTC drug labels. Finally, the level of schooling and the “age group,” simultaneously, does not impact the understanding of OTC drug labels or health literacy. Research limitations/implications This study has added in the field of knowledge by investigating the behavior of poor literate consumers in Brazil, a developing country. The results may be relevant to Marketing professionals, especially those in the pharmaceutical industry, and to police makers, as they help identify the main problems faced by poorly literate consumers. Practical implications It is necessary to raise awareness of the dangers of self-medication and wrong use of medications, mainly focused on people with low literacy. As a suggestion, a simple glossary presented along with the label could provide explanations of scientific terms, thus increasing health literacy and reducing the vulnerability of the consumers. Social implications This study showed that when using common words such as gastritis to define a health problem, there is a higher degree of correctness. These results suggest the adoption of a more straightforward language and more precise explanations. By doing that, the pharmaceutical industry and policymakers will improve their social impact by increasing consumer power and taking care of the health of the most vulnerable population: the illiterate people. Originality/value This study contributes to the international literature, as it enhances and clarifies the knowledge about the customers’ power and vulnerability in developing countries. It fills a gap by evaluating label comprehension and heath literacy at the same time, giving an academic contribution for pharmaceutical consumers’ studies.