What’s in a name: ‘client’,
‘patient’, ‘customer’, ‘consumer’,
‘expert by experience’, ‘service
User’—What’s Next?

McLaughlin, H

Abstract

This article challenges the terms we use to describe the relationship between those who assess and commission services and those who are the recipient of those services. In particular, the article identifies the different terms that have been used in British social
work, including ‘client’, ‘customer’, ‘consumer’, ‘service user’ and ‘expert by experience’, highlighting their assumptive worlds and the relationships the terms suggest and signify. Service user (the most popular term at present) is highlighted and critically analysed
and found to be increasingly problematic and unable to describe the complexities of the service–recipient relationship. Alternative terms are discussed and found
wanting, whilst a possible way forward is suggested to avoid the negative connotations of any one particular term.

Citation

User’—What’s Next?. British Journal of Social Work, 39, 1101-1117. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm155

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Oct 28, 2009
• Journal: British Journal of Social Work
• Print ISSN: 0045-3102
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Pages: 1101-1117
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm155
• Keywords: Service user, consumer, customer, expert by experience
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm155