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- Title
Doctors' views of patient expectations of medical care in Zhejiang Province, China.
- Authors
DAN WU; TAI PONG LAM; KWOK FAI LAM; XU DONG ZHOU; KAI SING SUN; Wu, Dan; Lam, Tai Pong; Lam, Kwok Fai; Zhou, Xu Dong; Sun, Kai Sing
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>Physicians' prescribing patterns may be influenced by how they perceive their patients' expectations of medical care. This study explored doctors' perceptions of patient expectations of medical care.<bold>Design: </bold>Qualitative interviews and a cross-sectional survey (September 2014-September 2015).<bold>Setting: </bold>Primary- and tertiary-care facilities in Zhejiang province, China.<bold>Participants: </bold>Primary care practitioners (PCPs) and hospital specialists.<bold>Main Outcomes: </bold>Perceived patients' expectations.<bold>Results: </bold>Seven focus groups and 21 individuals were interviewed. Questionnaires were completed by 460 PCPs and 651 specialists (response rate: 78%). About 36.8% of doctors reported generating profit for the facility at which they practiced as a foremost consideration. Participants perceived patients as holding high expectations of clinical performance and use of medical products. Respondents perceived that their patients expected either drug prescriptions (48.2%) or intravenous (IV) therapy (45.2%). Perceived patient expectations of an arrangement of tests and consultation fee refunds if no prescriptions were made were reported by 29.7 and 22.7%, respectively. Doctors reported feeling undervalued and disrespected when patients requested consultation fee refunds. Compared to those who did not report a need for profit-making, doctors who did were significantly more likely to perceive that their patients expected medication-based treatments (AOR = 1.62, P < 0.001), IV therapy (AOR = 1.32, P = 0.037), the arrangement of tests (AOR = 2.06, P < 0.001), and consultation fee refunds when no prescriptions were made (AOR = 1.92, P < 0.001).<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Most doctors believed that patients had high expectations. Workplace profit-orientation demonstrated a strong association with doctors' perceptions.
- Subjects
CHINA; MEDICAL care; HEALTH care teams; DRUG prescribing; LIFE expectancy; SENSORY perception; PATIENT satisfaction; GENERAL practitioners; INTRAVENOUS therapy; ATTITUDE (Psychology); ECONOMICS; FOCUS groups; MEDICAL personnel; PHYSICIAN-patient relations; PHYSICIANS; PSYCHOLOGY of physicians; CROSS-sectional method; PSYCHOLOGY
- Publication
International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 2017, Vol 29, Issue 6, p867
- ISSN
1353-4505
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/intqhc/mzx119