[Thanking in healthcare : compliment or trompe-l'oeil ?]

Often seen as the counterpart to complaints, thank-you and compliment messages received in hospitals tend to attract less attention. However, they often contain narratives of care experiences and allow patients or relatives to express a wide range of needs. Through writing, they may seek to bring closure to a period of vulnerability, maintain a connection with healthcare staff, express or manage a symbolic debt, or share their experience of care. Far from being simple gestures of appreciation, thank-you and compliment messages invite deeper reflection on the expectations and intentions of those who write them.