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BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2004

Open Access 01-12-2004 | Research article

Good physicians from the perspective of their patients

Authors: Ami Schattner, Dan Rudin, Navah Jellin

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2004

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Abstract

Background

It is not currently known what is the patient's viewpoint of a "good" physician. We set out to define patient's priorities regarding different physician's attributes in 3 domains important in medical care.

Methods

Patients hospitalized or attending clinics at a large teaching hospital selected the 4 attributes that they considered most important out of 21 listed arbitrarily in a questionnaire. The questionnaire included 7 items each in the domains of patient autonomy, professional expertise and humanism.

Results

Participating patients (n = 445, mean age 57.5 ± 16 years) selected professional expertise (50%), physician's patience and attentiveness (38% and 30%, respectively), and informing the patient, representing the patient's interests, being truthful and respecting patient's preferences (25–36% each) as the most essential attributes. Patient's selections were not significantly influenced by different demographic or clinical background. Selections of attributes in the domain of patient's autonomy were significantly more frequent and this was the preferred domain for 31% and as important as another domain for 16% – significantly more than the domain of professional expertise (P = 0.008), and much more than the domain of humanism and support (P < 0.0005).

Conclusions

Patients studied want their physicians to be highly professional and expert clinicians and show humaneness and support, but their first priority is for the physician to respect their autonomy.
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Metadata
Title
Good physicians from the perspective of their patients
Authors
Ami Schattner
Dan Rudin
Navah Jellin
Publication date
01-12-2004
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2004
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-4-26

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