What Do Patients Expect from Their Physicians?

Background: To identify the most important expectations that patients have from their physicians. Methods: We collected data from 199 hospitalized and 201 ambulatory patients (response rates 88% and 93% respectively). We used random sampling for selection of hospitalized patients and systematic sampling for the ambulatory ones. The questionnaire consisted of 18 different expectation items categorized in 5 domains. The participants scored each item from 1 to 9 using a VAS scale and ranked domains based on their importance. We analyzed the data using univariate and regression analyses. Results: Among the ambulatory patients, the mean±standard error of the most important expectations was as follows: com­petency (8.9±0.01), courteousness (8.8±0.04), consultation in case of need (8.8±0.4), clear explanation of the disease (8.8± 0.05) and attentiveness (8.8±0.04). In hospitalized patients, the following items were the most important: competency (8.4± 0.08), courteousness (8.4±0.09), availability of physician (8.4±0.09), consultation in case of need (8.2±0.11), setting follow­ing appointments (8.2±0.1), and disease follow-up (8.2±0.09). In both groups, the most important domain of expecta­tions was "competency and quality of care" followed by "availability" in hospitalized and "giving information and patient auton­omy" among ambulatory patients. Conclusions: Our findings are similar to what reported in the literature from other countries and cultures. In addition to physician expertise and knowledge, patients value giving information and efficient doctor-patient relationship

Medical student training and patient satisfaction in the internal medicine clinics of Imam Khomeini Hospital

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Medical Student Training on patients satisfaction referred to the internal medicine clinics. Methods: This is a cross sectional descriptive study. 200 outpatients referred to the internal medicine clinic Imam Khomeini Hospital were selected by convenient sampling. The participants were divided into two groups. The group which firstly visited by a specialist and the group which firstly visited by intern and then a specialist. In this study, researcher made questionnaire was used for measuring the patient satisfaction. Data were analyzed by using one-sample t-test, independent t-test and pair-t test. Results: The finding showed that patients are satisfied of the presence and performance of medical interns in clinics and they preferred to be visited by intern and a specialist rather than only by a specialist (p<0.001, t=13.55). The satisfaction scores of the patients in the areas of description of personal issues, a doctor knowledge, involvement in treatment decisions, feeling of visitor comfort and understand the patient's feeling visited by an intern were higher than those who were visited by only a doctor. Also, the mean scores of the patient satisfaction in the dimensions of asking questions, understandable given information, complete treatment, compliance of respectable and understand competence of given information in patients who were visited by only a doctor were more than the patients who were visited by an intern (p<0.05, t= 1.99). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the training medical students in internal medicine clinic of hospitals can be an effective strategy for the rate of satisfaction level of patients from their treatment

Which family physician should I choose? The analytic hierarchy process approach for ranking of criteria in the selection of a family physician

BACKGROUND: Choosing the most appropriate family physician (FP) for the individual, plays a fundamental role in primary care. The aim of this study is to determine the selection criteria for the patients in choosing their family doctors and priority ranking of these criteria by using the multi-criteria decision-making method of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model. METHODS: The study was planned and conducted in two phases. In the first phase, factors affecting the patients’ decisions were revealed with a qualitative research. In the next phase, the priorities of FP selection criteria were determined by using AHP model. Criteria were compared in pairs. 96 patient were asked to fill the information forms which contains comparison scores in the Family Health Centres. RESULTS: According to the analysis of focus group discussions FP selection criteria were congregated in to five groups: Individual Characteristics, Patient-Doctor relationship, Professional characteristics, the Setting, and Ethical Characteristics. For each of the 96 participants, comparison matrixes were formed based on the scores of their information forms. Of these, models of only 5 (5.2 %) of the participants were consistent, in other words, they have been able to score consistent ranking. The consistency ratios (CR) were found to be smaller than 0.10. Therefore the comparison matrix of this new model, which was formed based on the medians of scores only given by these 5 participants, was consistent (CR = 0.06 < 0.10). According to comparison results; with a 0.467 value-weight, the most important criterion for choosing a family physician is his/her ‘Professional characteristics’. CONCLUSIONS: Selection criteria for choosing a FP were put in a priority order by using AHP model. These criteria can be used as measures for selecting alternative FPs in further researches