11 Things Patients Want From Their Doctors
- Transparency: It is acceptable if a physician does not know everything about their illness or diagnosis, but patients...
- Active listening: When your patients leave your office after an appointment, do they feel like they are leaving a...
- Trust: If a doctor is an active listener, patients will feel comfortable sharing...
Full Answer
What do patients expect from their doctors?
Transparency: It is acceptable if a physician does not know everything about their illness or diagnosis, but patients expect their doctors to share as much as possible. Uncertainty is okay, as long as patients are aware of the truth. Also, patients understand that doctors are humans, too, and that medical errors do occur.
Why is patient expectation important in health care?
Patient expectation in health care continues to increase and this is something that needs to be managed adequately in order to improve outcomes and decrease liability.
Why is it important to know what to expect after treatment?
Knowing what to expect after cancer treatment can help you and your family make plans, lifestyle changes, and important decisions.
What do patients really want in health care?
Medications and surgery – treatments that patients “perceive will require little effort” are strongly preferred, as are “medications and surgical procedures” compared to “clinical strategies that involve behavior changes.” Efficiency – patients only modestly interested in care that delivers “the most value with the least resources”
What are the expectations of a patient?
Some of the general expectations of patients include: the need to be listened to. the need to receive clear explanation and instructions about their condition. to be treated by staff who show care/concern/compassion and.
What do patients expect from their doctors?
In summary, we conclude that patients expect their doctors to not only improve their knowledge and skill but also to treat them courteously, to provide them with relevant information and to listen to them patiently.
What is the purpose of medical treatment?
Medical treatment means the management and care of a patient to combat disease or disorder.
How will the expectation of the patient influence your treatment?
So not only can higher expectations lead to improved outcomes but, if a patient has a greater expectation for a particular treatment, it may also lead to improved outcome if they receive that treatment, although conversely a negative expectation may lead to a poorer outcome.
What do patients really want from healthcare?
Patients Want to See Compassion and Empathy in Action This clearly indicates that people don't want healthcare providers to say they are compassionate or empathetic, they want healthcare providers to listen and act in ways that clearly demonstrate they care and understand.
What do patients value most?
care qualityThe survey broke value down into three essential parts: service (or patient satisfaction and experience), care quality, and cost. Overall, both patients and providers ranked quality as the top element of “value,” with 62 percent of patients and 88 percent of providers reporting as such.
What are examples of medical treatment?
Examples of body therapies include: Chiropractic and osteopathic medicine. Massage. Body movement therapies....Traditional alternative medicine may include:Acupuncture.Ayurveda.Homeopathy.Naturopathy.Chinese or Oriental medicine.
What is the effectiveness of treatment?
The term treatment effectiveness connotes a technical but straight for-ward meaning throughout the health-care community. Basically, effectiveness is the likelihood that a certain treatment protocol will benefit patients in a certain clinical population when administered in clinical practice.
What are the three major goals of health and medicine?
From this standpoint, the major goals of medicine are “to cure, to care, and to comfort” (adapted from Singh). This aligns well with the various types of medicine (preventive care, curative care, chronic care, and palliative care).
Why is it important to learn the patient's expectations?
The importance of understanding patient expectations of health care is being increasingly recognized. Expectations can significantly influence health outcomes (1), including the effects of medical treatment such as cardiac surgery (2), joint replacement (3), and chemotherapy(4).
What do patients want from hospitals?
Four main themes were important to patients: (1) the hospital environment including cleanliness and how hospital policies and procedures impact patients' perceived autonomy, (2) whole-person care, (3) communication with and between care teams and utilizing words that patients can understand, and (4) responsiveness and ...
Can and should nurses be aware of patients expectations for their nursing care?
Nurses who are aware of patients' expectations of them may have a distinct advantage in influencing patients' expectations and thus positively affect patients' level of satisfaction with their nursing care.
What are the expectations of a patient?
Some of the general expectations of patients include: the need to be listened to. the need to receive clear explanation and instructions about their condition. to be treated by staff who show care/concern/compassion and. to be treated by staff who are professional in their work.
What is expectation in healthcare?
Expectations, with reference to healthcare, refer to the anticipation or the belief about what is to be encountered in a consultation or in the healthcare system. It is the mental picture that patients or the public will have of the process of interaction with the system.
Why is physician leadership important?
Physician leadership is crucial as improving the value of healthcare for the patient is something only medical teams can do . The principles that need to be focused on would include the following.[17–18] Understanding that the goal is value for patients.
Why is it important to explore patient expectations?
Exploring patients’ expectations is crucial for ensuring delivery of healthcare of the highest quality. Patients ’ expectations continue to increase. Therefore, a satisfactory balance should be achieved between patient expectations, physicians’ perceptions, and priorities set by healthcare planners.
Why do insurance companies want more patients?
Insurers too want to be profitable and physicians want more patients in order to increase revenue for their practice. There will also come a time when many may move into private practice. Patients, on the other hand, want good health outcomes, not more visits, and increased cost.
Can a patient request a second opinion from another physician?
that a patient's request for a second opinion from another physician is acceptable and, that as a last resort, the patient can be referred to another physician for care, if both parties cannot come to an agreement and see eye to eye.
Abstract
Summary: Existing research on the patient experience has focused on patients in the hospital and other medical settings. We investigate the perceptions of people who may not self-identify as being patients. This innovative approach of the “street study” aims to understand what people want from health care.
Introduction
In recent years, there has been an increased recognition that health care delivery needs to be focused on the needs of the patient. The Institute of Medicine has deemed patient-centered care as a dimension in its own right, [ 1] and many innovations highlight patient-centeredness as a primary goal. [ 2]
Methods
This was a cross sectional descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews. The study population was comprised of individuals recruited from four different settings in Washington, D.C.: coffee shops, metro stops, senior centers, and community centers.
Results
Fifty-one subjects of the 57 approached (90%) agreed to be interviewed. Among the respondents, twenty-eight were female; 23 were male. Ages varied from 20-89. Sixteen were recruited from cafes, 11 from metro stops, 12 from senior centers, and 12 from community centers.
Discussion
The most striking finding of our study of what people want from their health care is that every participant answered this question as to what they wanted from the doctor.
Conclusions
Our use of an innovative methodology of the “street study” finds that people perceive health care as the interaction with their doctor. What people want from their health care goes to the core of the doctor-patient relationship. Doctors need to listen, to care and be compassionate, and to be transparent and open with patients.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the individuals who contributed their time to taking part in the interview.
What are the expectations of the American healthcare system?
That’s because we Americans expect a lot. As patients, we expect to live long, productive lives with replaceable joints, clear lenses, and revitalized hearts. We expect to receive a diagnosis and treatment for every complaint. We expect high-tech solutions for commonsense problems. We expect our doctors to be flawless and self-confident, and doctors, in turn, expect to be compensated for the stress of their relentless demands. Americans—or at least those with means—are said to enjoy the best health care system in the world, but even the most fortunate soon discover that health is a gift, as much dependent on genetics and good luck as it is on lifestyle choices and access to care.
Why is touch important in physical examination?
Touching establishes a physical connection and sense of intimacy between the doctor and patient that invites communication and reassures the patient that there is no need to conceal or loathe their wounded part.
Is health a gift?
Americans—or at least those with means—are said to enjoy the best health care system in the world, but even the most fortunate soon discover that health is a gift, as much dependent on genetics and good luck as it is on lifestyle choices and access to care.
Do patients need to know who they are speaking to?
When continuity of care is challenged by after-hours coverage, urgent care visits, and the increasing presence of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical students, and residents-in-training, the patient may no longer recognize the “doctor” by sight or voice, and feel fortunate to see anyone at all . 1
What is the right to make a treatment choice?
The Right to Make a Treatment Choice. As long as a patient is considered to be of sound mind, it is both his right and responsibility to know about the options available for treatment of his medical condition and then make the choice he feels is right for him.
What to do if you believe your patients' rights have been violated?
If you believe your patients' rights have been violated, you can discuss it with a hospital patient advocate or your state's department of health.
What is the right to obtain medical records?
The Right to Obtain Your Medical Records. The HIPAA Act of 1996 provides patients in the United States a right to obtain their medical records, including doctors' notes, medical test results and other documentation related to their care. 1 .
What is the right to make decisions about end of life care?
The Right to Make Decisions About End-of-Life Care. Each state in the United States governs how patients may make and legally record the decisions they make about how their lives will end, including life-preserving measures such as the use of feeding tubes or ventilators.
What is the right to be treated with respect?
The Right to Be Treated with Respect. All patients, regardless of their means or health challenges, should expect to be treated respectfully and without discrimination by their providers, practitioners, and payers.
Can a patient refuse treatment?
In most cases, a patient may refuse treatment as long as he is considered to be capable of making sound decisions, or he made that choice when he was of sound mind through written expression (as is often the case when it comes to end-of-life care).
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
- This was a cross sectional descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews. The study population was comprised of individuals recruited from four different settings in Washington, D.C.: coffee shops, metro stops, senior centers, and community centers. Over a 3-week period in October-November 2013, a convenience sample of adults over age 18 were approached by the p…
Results
- Fifty-one subjects of the 57 approached (90%) agreed to be interviewed. Among the respondents, twenty-eight were female; 23 were male. Ages varied from 20-89. Sixteen were recruited from cafes, 11 from metro stops, 12 from senior centers, and 12 from community centers. Other demographic information, such as socioeconomic status, race, and primary language spoken, w…
Discussion
- The most striking finding of our study of what people want from their health care is that every participant answered this question as to what they wanted from the doctor. This confirms anecdotal reports that people understand medical care as the interaction with their doctor, and with growing research on the importance of shared-decision making in medicine. [8] As policym…
Conclusions
- Our use of an innovative methodology of the “street study” finds that people perceive health care as the interaction with their doctor. What people want from their health care goes to the core of the doctor-patient relationship. Doctors need to listen, to care and be compassionate, and to be transparent and open with patients. They need to be acces...
Acknowledgments
- The authors wish to thank the individuals who contributed their time to taking part in the interview.
References
- Institute of Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001. ↩
- Choksi DA, Schectman GS, Agarwal M. Patient-centered innovation: the VA approach. Health Care. 2013; 1(3): 72-75. ↩
- Bendapudi NM, Berry LL, Frey KA, et al. Patients’ perspectives on ideal physician behaviors. …
- Institute of Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001. ↩
- Choksi DA, Schectman GS, Agarwal M. Patient-centered innovation: the VA approach. Health Care. 2013; 1(3): 72-75. ↩
- Bendapudi NM, Berry LL, Frey KA, et al. Patients’ perspectives on ideal physician behaviors. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006; 81(3): 338-44. ↩
- Williams S, Weinman J, Dale J. Doctor-patient communication and patient satisfaction: a review. Fam Pract. 1998; 15(5): 480-92. ↩
