Which aspects of general practitioners' behaviour determine patients' evaluations of care?

Determinants of Patient Satisfaction in Celiac Disease Care

BACKGROUND AND GOALS

There are little data examining patient satisfaction with celiac disease (CD) care. We sought to assess how satisfied patients are with their CD care, and to determine the influencing factors.

STUDY

We distributed an online questionnaire to adults receiving programmatic updates from a CD referral center, querying aspects of CD care and using disease-specific validated instruments to measure quality of life and dietary adherence. The univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using satisfaction as a binary outcome comparing grouped "satisfied" and "very satisfied" respondents to "neutral," "dissatisfied," and "very dissatisfied" respondents.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-seven (22%) individuals completed the survey, and 229 met the inclusion criteria of biopsy-proven CD. Seventy-nine individuals (34.5%) reported being "very satisfied" with their CD care, 82 (35.8%) "satisfied," 46 (20.1%) "neutral," 14 (6.1%) "dissatisfied," and 8 (3.5%) "very dissatisfied." On multivariable analysis, reporting that physicians spend ample time managing CD needs (P=0.013), and having CD-antibody levels checked yearly (P=0.003), were positive predictors of patient satisfaction. Factors that were not correlated with patient satisfaction included symptom severity (P=0.268), quality of life (P=0.13), and following with a CD specialist (P=0.139).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of patients we surveyed were satisfied with their CD care. We found that patients report higher satisfaction when they feel physicians spend time caring for their CD needs and when they receive annual CD-antibody testing. On the basis of our study, these factors are more important than disease severity, seeing a CD specialist, and quality of life in determining patient satisfaction with CD care.

What patients' complaints and praise tell the health practitioner: implications for health care quality. A qualitative research study

Objective

In order to identify which health care aspects play a role in patient satisfaction and quality of health care, the present study analyses a large number of instances of complaint and praise.

Design and setting

One thousand two hundred and thirty-five instances of complaint and one thousand five hundred thirty-six of praise submitted from patients or other souces (i.e. a patient's family member or a legal representative) to a northern-Italian hospital were analysed.

Main outcome measures

We adopted Reader and colleagues' (2014) patients' complaint taxonomy, in conjunction with a detailed content analysis of relationship and communication of information aspects.

Results

The most frequent causes of complaint concerned care system management (68.1%), particularly the time taken to access treatment, and relationship aspects (52.8%). The importance of relationship aspects was confirmed by the expression of gratitude through praise (89%). The most critical factor of the relationship domain was effective communication of information to the patient (39.3%). Frequently patients complained of: (i) having received information that was inconsistent with the truth, (ii) having had difficulty in obtaining information, and (iii) untimely communication of information. Clinical aspects did not seem to be the main factors that triggered a complaint (36,8%), and, when indicated, they were almost always associated with relationship issues.

Conclusions

This study indicates that not only complaints, but also instances of praise, are a potentially important source of information regarding health care aspects that play a role in patient satisfaction and quality of care. Our findings underline the relevance of relationship aspects in determining patients' satisfaction with the care received. In particular, health practitioners should focus their attention on how information is understood, translated and applied by patients.

What do older people value when they visit their general practitioner? A qualitative study

Older patients see their general practitioners (GPs) relatively often and so recognition of their preferences can lead to improvement of quality of care in general practice. This study aimed to identify which aspects of GPs' behaviour are the most important for older people in their assessment of the quality of their visits and to explore the application of Jung's taxonomy differentiating task and affective behaviour in this context. A qualitative approach to generating data was chosen. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 30 patients aged 65 and older using GP services in two demographically diverse big cities in Poland. Participants were interviewed in 2010 according to a pre-determined topic guide. This research showed that older people assess both 'task performance' and 'affective performance' behaviours of general practitioners. There were nearly twice as many patient comments concerning affective performance behaviour relative to task performance behaviour. Older people expect that their physicians will be demonstrably friendly, kind, able to joke and have enough time for the consultation.

[Evaluation of primary care from the perspective of users: adaptation of the EUROPEP instrument for major Brazilian urban centers]

Satisfaction with health care is a multidimensional concept that considers aspects such as access, organization and professional-user interaction. The aim of this study was to adapt and apply an instrument in the Family Health Strategy (FHS) to assess user satisfaction with Primary Health Care (PHC) based on the European Task Force on Patient Evaluation of General Practice Care (EUROPEP), which refers to user satisfaction wth general and family medicine services. The instrument consists of five dimensions of satisfaction: relationship and communication, medical care, information and support, continuity and cooperation, and organization of services. The study was divided into phases: review and adjustment of the instrument and application to a representative sample of users of the FHS in Rio de Janeiro. The averages of the proportions of answers for each indicator were calculated to analyze the results. Relationship and communication between professionals and users received the best evaluation and Organization of Services eceived the worst appraisal. Regarding education level, good self-perceived health and more elderly were more satisfied. The instrument proved to be easy to apply, can be routinely used for monitoring of the FHS, and is a tool for the institutionalization of evaluation.

Perceptions of clients and veterinarians on what attributes constitute 'a good vet'

The perceptions of veterinarians and small animal (SA) clients on what attributes constitute 'a good veterinarian' were examined by a questionnaire survey. The respondents were asked to record how important they considered 20 attributes for a veterinary surgeon to have on a five-point scale from 'not at all important' to 'very important'. In addition, they were asked to list which attributes they considered to be the three most important attributes in a veterinary surgeon; finally, they were asked whether there were any additional attributes that they considered to be highly desirable in a veterinary surgeon. In total, 407 SA clients, 243 SA veterinarians and 61 non-SA veterinarians completed the questionnaire. There were significant differences in the proportion of clients who considered an attribute to be 'very important' compared with SA veterinarians for 12 of the 20 attributes (P<0.005). A larger proportion of clients considered 'confidence', 'knowledge about veterinary medicine and surgery', 'cleanliness', 'good at explaining technical terms', 'patience', 'clear about cost of treatment', 'ability to work in a team', 'honesty', 'politeness', 'decisiveness', 'good with animals' and 'good practical skills' to be 'very important' attributes than the SA veterinarians; a larger proportion of SA veterinarians considered 'good communication skills' to be a 'very important' attribute than the clients.

Effects of educational interventions on primary dementia care: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of educational interventions about dementia, directed at primary care providers (PCPs).

DESIGN

We searched Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Cinahl and the Cochrane library for relevant articles. Two researchers independently assessed the citations identified against the following inclusion criteria: educational intervention on dementia directed at PCPs and study designs being randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), controlled before and after studies (CBAs) or interrupted time series (ITS) analyses. Outcomes of interest were PCPs' knowledge and attitude on dementia, and quality of dementia care at PCP and patient level.

RESULTS

Of 3953 citations identified, six articles representing five studies (four cluster RCTs and one CBA) were eligible, describing educational interventions directed at 1904 PCPs. Compliance to the interventions varied from 18 to 100%. Systematic review of the studies showed moderate positive results. Five articles reported at least some effects of the interventions. A small group workshop and a decision support system (DSS) increased dementia detection rates. An interactive 2-h seminar raised GPs' suspicion of dementia. Adherence to dementia guidelines only improved when an educational intervention was combined with the appointment of dementia care managers. This combined intervention also improved patients' and caregivers' quality of life. Effects on knowledge and attitudes were minor.

CONCLUSION

Educational interventions for PCPs that require active participation improve detection of dementia. Educational interventions alone do not seem to increase adherence to dementia guidelines. To effectively change professionals' performance in primary dementia care, education probably needs to be combined with adequate reimbursement or other organizational incentives.

Differences in the quality of interpersonal care in complementary and conventional medicine

BACKGROUND

The study was part of a nationwide evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Swiss primary care. The aim of the study was to compare patient-physician relationships and the respective patient-reported relief of symptoms between CAM and conventional primary care (COM).

METHODS

A comparative observational study in Swiss primary care with written survey completed by patients who visited a GP one month earlier. 6133 patients older than 16 years of 170 certified CAM physicians, of 77 non-certified CAM physicians and of 71 conventional physicians were included. Patients completed a questionnaire aimed at symptom relief, patient satisfaction, fulfilment of expectations, and quality of patient-physician interaction (EUROPEP questionnaire).

RESULTS

CAM physicians treated significantly more patients with chronic conditions than COM physicians. CAM Patients had significant higher healing expectations than COM patients. General patient satisfaction was significantly higher in CAM patients, although patient-reported symptom relief was significantly poorer. The quality of patient-physician communication was rated significantly better in CAM patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows better patient-reported outcomes of CAM in comparison to COM in Swiss primary care, which is related to higher patient satisfaction due to better patient-physician communication of CAM physicians. More effective communication patterns of these physicians may play an important role in allowing patients to maintain more positive outcome expectations. The findings should promote formative efforts in conventional primary care to improve communication skills in order to reach the same levels of favourable patient outcomes.

Patient satisfaction with healthcare provided by family doctors: primary dimensions and an attempt at typology

Background

Patient satisfaction is a complex and difficult concept to measure, thus precluding the use of exclusively quantitative methods for its description. The purpose of this survey was firstly to identify particular healthcare dimensions that determine a patient's satisfaction or dissatisfaction; and secondly to attempt to typologise the patients' responses based on their evaluation of healthcare.

Methods

Using a qualitative research design, thirty-six in-depth interviews with patients of family physicians were conducted: four patients from each of 9 family practices in different regions of Poland were interviewed. The main outcome measure was factors associated with patient satisfaction/dissatisfaction.

Results

In their evaluations of their contacts with family doctors, the patients cited mostly issues concerning interpersonal relationships with the doctor. Nearly 40% of the statements referred to this aspect of healthcare, with nearly equal proportions of positive and negative comments. The second most frequent category of responses concerned contextual factors (21%) that related to conditions of medical service, with two-thirds of the evaluations being negative. Statements concerning the doctor's competencies (12.9%) and personal qualities (10.5%) were less common.

Conclusion

To improve the quality of healthcare, family doctors should take special care to ensure the quality of their interactions with patients.

Factors impacting on doctors' management of acute low back pain: a systematic review

The aim of this review was to determine the factors that impact on doctors' management of patients with acute low back pain. A methodological assessment of databases (Medline, EMBASE, Psychinfo, BIOSIS, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) identified papers which were screened for inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted from accepted papers, and the internal validity and strength of the evidence were determined using valid and reliable scales. The search generated a total of 28 papers [quantitative (n=27), qualitative (n=1) methodologies]. Themes were identified from the accepted papers: education (n=18), knowledge of clinical guidelines and impact on management (n=7), and doctors' demographics (n=4). There was consistent evidence that doctors did not adhere to clinical guidelines when performing a spinal assessment. There was inconsistent evidence that education increased adherence with acute LBP guideline recommendations in terms of referral rates to physiotherapy, for investigations, to secondary care and for maintaining patients at work. Strategies to address the factors impacting on doctors' management of acute LBP are required; these would lead to improvement in patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

How patients perceive the therapeutic communications skills of their general practitioners, and how that perception affects adherence: use of the TCom-skill GP scale in a specific geographical area

Background

To study: (1) the structure and test-retest reliability of a measure of how patients perceive the therapeutic communications skills of their general practitioners (TCom-skill GP), and (2) the associations of that scale with socio-demographic and health-related characteristics, and adherence.

Methods

A total of 393 people who lived in the same geographic area and invited to attend a preventive medical centre for a check up were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire concerning TCom-skill GP (15 items), socio-demographic and health-related characteristics, and to answer two questions on perceived adherence.

Results

The average age of respondents was 46.8 years (SD 14), and 50.4% were men. The TCom-skill GP score was one-dimensional, had high internal coherence (Cronbach α 0.92), and good test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient 0.74). The overall score was positively related to increasing age. Respondents aged 60+ were more likely to be adherent. The higher the score, the higher the probability of adherence. Multivariate analysis showed that the TCom-skill score was associated with advancing age and the number of consultations with the GP during the previous 3 months, but not with gender, living alone, being employed, job category or educational level. Multivariate analysis also showed that adherence was associated with TCom-skill GP score which concealed the association between adherence and advancing age observed in univariate analysis.

Conclusion

The TCom-skill GP scale probably has value in assessing the quality of doctor-patient relationships and therapeutic communications. The psychometric properties of the TCom-skill GP scale were appropriate for its use in this context. Adherence related to the TCom-skill GP and the latter related to the age of patients and the number of their previous consultations. The TCom-skill GP scale may be a useful way to assess, in a specific geographical location, the impact of medical professional training on therapeutic communication.

Patients' evaluation of quality of care in general practice: what are the cultural and linguistic barriers?

OBJECTIVE

Increased migration implies increased contacts for physicians with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds who have different expectations about healthcare. How satisfied are immigrant patients, and how do they perceive the quality of care? This study investigated which patient characteristics (such as cultural views and language proficiency) are related to patients' satisfaction and perceived quality of care.

METHODS

Patients (n=663) from 38 general practices in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) were interviewed. General satisfaction with the general practitioner (GP) was measured by a report mark. Perceived quality of care was measured using the 'Quote-mi' scale (quality of care through the patient's eyes-for migrants), which contains an ethnic-specific subscale and a communication process subscale. Using multilevel regression techniques, the relation between patient characteristics (ethnicity, age, education, Dutch language proficiency, cultural views) and satisfaction and perceived quality of care was analysed.

RESULTS

In general, patients seemed fairly satisfied. Non-Western patients perceived less quality of care and were less satisfied than Dutch-born patients. The older the patients and the more modern cultural views they had, the more satisfied they were about the GP in general, as well as about the communication process. However, non-Western patients holding more modern views were the most critical regarding the ethnic-specific quality items. The poorer patients' Dutch language proficiency, the more negative they were about the communication process.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that next to communication aspects, especially when the patient's proficiency in Dutch is poor, physician awareness about the patient's cultural views is very important during the consultation. This holds especially true when the immigrant patient seems to be more or less acculturated.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Medical students and physicians should be trained to become aware of the relevance of patients' different cultural backgrounds. It is also recommended to offer facilities to bridge the language barrier, by making use of interpreters or cultural mediators.

Is patient satisfaction sensitive to changes in the quality of care? An exploitation of the Hawthorne effect

We introduce a new instrument to evaluate the impact of behavior on outcomes when the behavior may be a function of unobserved variables that also affect outcomes. The instrument is introduced through a test of patient sensitivity to increases in the quality of care provided by doctors. We utilize the Hawthorne effect, in which the very presence of a research team causes doctors to provide measurably superior quality care for any type of patient to show that patients respond to this increased quality and are more likely to be very satisfied. Using the Hawthorne effect as an instrument allows us to examine the responsiveness of satisfaction to improvements in quality despite the fact that patient satisfaction is subjective and jointly produced with quality during the course of a consultation.

Aggregation of qualitative studies--From theory to practice: Patient priorities and family medicine/general practice evaluations

OBJECTIVE

Aggregation (i.e., meta-ethnography or meta-synthesis) of qualitative studies remains relatively rare and controversial. We have attempted this procedure within an investigation of patient priorities and evaluations of primary care in order to triangulate an instrument development process as well as explore associated dilemmas.

METHODS

The procedures included a literature search of qualitative research on patient priorities and evaluations and creation of a framework for quality assessment of retrieved papers. The tool for the evaluation of quality in qualitative studies was piloted, refined, and applied to the retrieved literature. The articles were equally distributed between two teams in random fashion, and inter-rater agreement calculated. Finally, we formulated and applied a strategy for aggregation of data from included papers that allowed comparison to a systematic review of quantitative studies on the topic.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Twenty-four of these articles were of sufficient quality to be included in the qualitative aggregation. Inter-rater agreement ranged from 0.22 to 0.77 and 0.38 to 0.60 for pair and assessor comparisons, respectively. The aggregation strategy enabled synthesis within sub-categories of the heterogeneous papers.

CONCLUSIONS

We have devised a modestly reliable instrument to assess the quality of qualitative work. The procedure for quality assessment and aggregation appears to be both feasible and potentially useful, though both theoretical and practical problems underline the need for further refinement prior to widespread utilization of this approach.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

An instrument to assess the quality of qualitative work within the context of aggregation efforts is described. Calculating inter-rater reliability in this framework can support future quality assessments. A method of breaking a heterogeneous collection of included papers into sub-categories to enable aggregation of qualitative studies is applied and demonstrates its feasibility and potential usefulness.

Why do patients want to have their blood tested? A qualitative study of patient expectations in general practice

BACKGROUND

General practitioners often take their impression of patients' expectations into account in their decision to have blood tests done. It is commonly recommended to involve patients in decision-making during consultations. The study aimed to obtain detailed information on patients' expectations about blood tests.

METHODS

Qualitative study among patients in waiting rooms of general practices. Each patient was presented with a short questionnaire about their preferences in terms of diagnostics. Patients who would like blood tests to be done were interviewed.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven (26%) of the 224 respondents wanted blood tests. Twenty-two were interviewed. Patients overestimated the qualities of blood tests. Favourable test results were regarded as proof of good health. Patients regarded blood tests as a useful instrument to screen for serious disorders, and were confirmed in this belief by people in their social environment and by the media. Many patients expected their GP to take an active test ordering approach, though some indicated that they might be convinced if their GP proposed a wait-and-see policy.

CONCLUSIONS

GPs' perceptions about patient expectations seem justified: patients appear to have high hopes for testing as a diagnostic tool. They expect diagnostic certainty without mistakes and a proof of good health. The question is whether it would be desirable to remove patients' misconceptions, allowing them to participate in policy decisions on the basis of sound information, or whether it would be better to leave the misconceptions uncontested, in order to retain the 'magic' of additional tests and reassure patients. We expect that clarifying the precise nature of patients' expectations by the GP may be helpful in creating a diagnostic strategy that satisfies both patients and GPs. GPs will have to balance the benefits of reassuring their patients by means of blood tests which may be unnecessary against the benefits of avoiding unnecessary tests. Further research is needed into the effects of different types of patient information and the effects of testing on satisfaction and anxiety.

What are the key attributes of primary care for patients? Building a conceptual 'map' of patient preferences

BACKGROUND

Responding to the preferences of patients is a key focus of current health policy and is especially important in primary care. Responding effectively to patient preferences requires a clear understanding of the way in which patients assess primary care services.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to provide a 'map' of the content and structure of the key attributes of patient preferences concerning primary care.

DESIGN

The development of the 'map' used secondary research methods. Electronic databases were searched for published conceptual reviews of patient preferences, which were used to develop a basic 'map' through content analysis. A search for recently published primary empirical studies of patient preferences was conducted to extend and develop the 'map'. The 'map' was tested by taking a random sample of patient assessment instruments and categorizing the item content.

RESULTS

Seven major categories and multiple subcategories were described. The major categories were access, technical care, interpersonal care, patient-centredness, continuity, outcomes, and hotel aspects of care. The coverage of these attributes in a selection of patient assessment instruments varied widely, and the coding of a proportion of items in the patient assessment instruments according to the 'map' was problematic.

CONCLUSIONS

The conceptual 'map' can be used to plan comprehensive assessment of patient preferences in primary care. It also raises many theoretical issues concerning the nature of attributes and their interrelationships. The implications for the measurement of patient preferences are discussed.

Assessment of mutual understanding of physician patient encounters: development and validation of a Mutual Understanding Scale (MUS) in a multicultural general practice setting

Mutual understanding between physician and patient is essential for good quality of care; however, both parties have different views on health complaints and treatment. This study aimed to develop and validate a measure of mutual understanding (MU) in a multicultural setting. The study included 986 patients from 38 general practices. GPs completed a questionnaire and patients were interviewed after the consultation. To assess mutual understanding the answers from GP and patient to questions about different consultation aspects were compared. An expert panel, using nominal group technique, developed criteria for mutual understanding on consultation aspects and secondly, established a ranking to combine all aspects into an overall consultation judgement. Regarding construct validity, patients' ethnicity, age and language proficiency were the most important predictors for MU. Regarding criterion validity, all GP-related criteria (the GPs perception of his ability to explain to the patient, the patient's ability to explain to the GP, and the patient's understanding of consultation aspects), were well-related to MU. The same can be said of patient's consultation satisfaction and feeling that the GP was considerate. We conclude that the Mutual Understanding Scale is regarded a reliable and valid measure to be used in large-scale quantitative studies.

Patients' preferences for technical versus interpersonal quality when selecting a primary care physician

OBJECTIVE

To assess patients' use of and preferences for information about technical and interpersonal quality when using simulated, computerized health care report cards to select a primary care provider (PCP).

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

Primary data collected from 304 adult consumers living in Los Angeles County in January and February 2003.

STUDY DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION

We constructed computerized report cards for seven pairs of hypothetical individual PCPs (two internal validity check pairs included). Participants selected the physician that they preferred. A questionnaire collected demographic information and assessed participant attitudes towards different sources of report card information. The relationship between patient characteristics and number of times the participant selected the physician who excelled in technical quality are estimated using an ordered logit model.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Ninety percent of the sample selected the dominant physician for both validity checks, indicating a level of attention to task comparable with prior studies. When presented with pairs of physicians who varied in technical and interpersonal quality, two-thirds of the sample (95 percent CI: 62, 72 percent) chose the physician who was higher in technical quality at least three out of five times (one-sample binomial test of proportion). Age, gender, and ethnicity were not significant predictors of choosing the physician who was higher in technical quality.

CONCLUSIONS

These participants showed a strong preference for physicians of high technical quality when forced to make tradeoffs, but a substantial proportion of the sample preferred physicians of high interpersonal quality. Individual physician report cards should contain ample information in both domains to be most useful to patients.

Patient perceptions of the quality of health services

As calls are made for a more patient-centered health care system, it becomes critical to define and measure patient perceptions of health care quality and to understand more fully what drives those perceptions. This chapter identifies conceptual and methodological issues that make this task difficult, including the confusion between patient perceptions and patient satisfaction and the difficulty of determining whether systematic variations in patient perceptions should be attributed to differences in expectations or actual experiences. We propose a conceptual model to help unravel these knotty issues; review qualitative studies that report directly from patients on how they define quality; provide an overview of how health plans, hospitals, physicians, and health care in general are currently viewed by patients; assess whether and how patient health status and demographic characteristics relate to perceptions of health care quality; and identify where further, or more appropriately designed, research is needed. Our aim is to find out what patients want, need and experience in health care, not what professionals (however well-motivated) believe they need or get.

How breast cancer outpatients perceive mutual participation in patient-physician interactions

This study examines correlations between observable communicative behaviors and patient perceptions of patient-physician interaction in 86 breast cancer outpatient consultations from three patient-centered perspectives: patient participation, physician collaboration, and communicative success. Analysis relied on audio tape recordings and questionnaires, and incorporated non-behavioral factors particular to each physician, patient, and consultation. Results revealed that patient perceptions of self-participation depended on the length of consultation. Physician collaboration depended on the degree to which patients were given the opportunity to speak, while communicative success reflected a patient's level of anxiety at the time of the consultation. Yet patient perceptions of mutual participation reflected observable communicative behaviors only partially. This gap suggests that perceptual and behavioral measures reveal different aspects of participation and that the study of patient-physician interaction benefits from the inclusion of both kinds of measure.

Physicians' and patients' perceptions of patients' communication competence in a primary care medical interview

Considerable research suggests that patients and physicians often perceive aspects of the medical interview quite differently. Despite extensive research into physician-patient communication, virtually no attention has been given to assessing patients' and physicians' perceptions of communication competence during the medical interview. The purpose of this research was to determine the extent of agreement between physicians and patients on what behaviors constitute competent patient communication. The results indicate that there is considerable agreement between physicians and patients on the categories of competent patient communication. However, there is little or no evidence for agreement at the dyadic level on the occurrence of competent patient communication. Moreover, there is little evidence that physicians' and patients' perceptions of competence correlate with patients' actual discourse. These results are discussed with respect to implications for future research on patient communication skills training interventions.

A framework for clinical general practice and for research and teaching in the discipline

This paper uses three typical case stories from general practice to demonstrate that a GP simultaneously considers four dimensions when making a diagnosis and planning subsequent treatment of a patient in the consultation: (i). a biomedical dimension; (ii). a culture and context dimension; (iii). a medico-psychological dimension; and (iv). a network and social dimension. By taking this diagnostic and therapeutic approach, the GP adds value to the total performance of the health care system. It is demonstrated that a GP needs theoretical, research-based knowledge and skills within all four dimensions, and that it is necessary for a GP to work together with both medical and non-medical disciplines when defining the research and teaching agenda. It is stressed that consultation and communication skills are important tools for any doctor, and the value of continuity of care is discussed. Finally, the implications of the diagnostic approach with respect to planning research and teaching programmes are discussed, and the need for a better balance is stressed.

Comparison of patients' and general practitioners' evaluations of general practice care

OBJECTIVES

To compare patients' and general practitioners' (GPs') evaluations of the quality of general practice care.

DESIGN

Written surveys among patients and GPs.

SETTING

General practice in the Netherlands.

SUBJECTS

1772 patients (from 45 GPs) and a random sample of 315 GPs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients' and GPs' evaluations of 23 aspects of general practice care and GPs' perceptions of patients' evaluations using a 5 point scale.

RESULTS

The response rate was 88% in the patient sample and 63% in the GP sample. The patients' ratings of care were significantly more positive (mean 4.0) than those of the GPs (mean 3.7) as well as GPs' perceptions of patients' evaluations (mean 3.5) (p<0.001). The overall rank order correlations between the patients' evaluations, GPs' evaluations, and GPs' perceptions of the patients' evaluations were 0.75 or higher (p<0.001). Patients and practitioners gave the most positive evaluations of specific aspects of the doctor-patient relationship ("keeping patients' records and data confidential", "listening to patients", and "making patients feel they had enough time during consultations") and aspects of the organisation of care ("provide quick service for urgent health problems" and "helpfulness of the staff (other than the doctor)"). The aspects of care evaluated least positively by patients as well as by GPs were other organisational aspects ("preparing patients for what to expect from specialist or hospital care" and "getting through to practice on the telephone").

CONCLUSIONS

GPs and patients have to some extent a shared perspective on general practice care. However, GPs were more critical about the quality of care than patients and they underestimated how positive patients were about the care they provide. Furthermore, specific aspects of care were evaluated differently, so surveys and other consultations with patients are necessary to integrate their perspective into quality improvement activities.

Perceptions des aidant(e)s de la qualité des soins et des services en unités de courte durée gériatriques: Développement et validation d'un outil de mesure

The goal of this study is to develop and validate a tool for measuring perceptions of caregivers of the quality of care and services in Geriatric Assessment Units. It has been designed so as to reproduce the notion of quality for caregivers. The validation of the tool is based on analyses of responses provided by caregivers (n = 274) to questions of perceived quality and to a certain number of questions necessary for the evaluation of its metric qualities. The measurement scale developed includes 25 items and it demonstrates good internal consistency. The Alpha Cronbach coefficients are 0.95 for the global index and they range from 0.88 to 0.91 on the sub-scales. The various analyses support a three-dimensional structure of the notion of quality for caregivers, explaining 66 per cent of the total variance. These dimensions are: “exchanges with professionals on the relative's condition,” “care given to a loved one,” and “planning the discharge”. It is hoped that this tool will promote the inclusion of the points of view of caregivers in the process of the improvement and assessment of quality.

La perspectiva de enfermos crónicos sobre la atención médica en Guadalajara, México. Un estudio cualitativo

Este trabajo reporta los hallazgos parciales de un estudio más amplio sobre la experiencia de vivir con enfermedades crónicas; el mismo se centra en la perspectiva de sujetos enfermos sobre los servicios de salud. Un estudio cualitativo fue realizado en un barrio popular de Guadalajara, con treinta sujetos con diabetes. La información se obtuvo mediante entrevistas semi y no estructuradas aplicadas en sus hogares. Los datos se obtuvieron durante un año, los mismos fueron analizados mediante análisis de contenido y conversacional. Tres valoraciones generales identificamos sobre la atención médica por parte de los participantes del estudio: algunos la consideran buena, para otros es ambivalente y para el resto es mala. Estas valoraciones se relacionan estrechamente con la trayectoria del padecimiento y los recursos materiales disponibles que posibilitan optar por distintos tipos de servicios. Tales perspectivas son cambiantes a lo largo del tiempo, incluyen los diversos servicios existentes y se construyen incorporando otros padecimientos crónicos. Quienes acuden al Seguro Social la definen en términos eminentemente negativos, a diferencia de aquellos con acceso a los servicios públicos de asistencia y a la medicina privada. Se discuten sus implicaciones en referencia a la reforma del sector salud.

Does provider prevention orientation influence female patients' preventive practices?

BACKGROUND

Health care provider encouragement for particular preventive behaviors is associated with patient adherence, but it is unclear whether a provider's overall prevention approach influences whether patients engage in recommended preventive measures. We examined whether older women who perceived that their health care provider encouraged a particular preventive behavior were more likely to follow that recommendation if they also perceived that the provider encouraged other preventive behaviors.

DATA AND METHODS

The sample included 1119 women aged 50 to 79 enrolled in a health maintenance organization. We examined associations of reported provider encouragement for post-menopausal hormone use, physical activity, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), and flexible sigmoidoscopy with one another and with adherence to these measures according to recommended guidelines.

RESULTS

Among women reporting provider encouragement for physical activity, the likelihood of reporting regular physical activity was greater among women who reported encouragement for one other (odds ratio [OR]=1.99; confidence interval [CI]=1.35 to 2.95) and at least two other (OR=2. 38; 95% CI=1.62 to 3.48) preventive measures compared with women who reported no other encouragement. The likelihood of reporting adequate counseling for post-menopausal hormone use was greater among women reporting encouragement for at least two other preventive measures compared with those reporting no other encouragement. The likelihood of having had an FOBT or sigmoidoscopic examination was related to encouragement for those procedures, but not with greater encouragement for other preventive measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient perceptions of a provider's overall preventive practice approach may influence whether patients engage in recommended preventive practices, particularly for lifestyle factors.

Measuring patient-centredness: a comparison of three observation-based instruments

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of three different observation-based measures of patient-centredness. The three face-valid instruments were each applied to the same sample of 55 videotaped GP consultations. Associations were explored with consultation 'input' variables (e.g. patient and doctor demographic characteristics, patient health status) and 'process' variables (e.g. consultation length). The three measures demonstrated varying levels of inter-rater reliability. Reliability was proportional to training requirements. Differences in construct validity of the three measures were evident and their concurrent validity was relatively low. Researchers must exercise caution in their choice of measurement method because of differences in how the concept of 'patient-centredness' is operationalized. Greater conceptual specificity and simplification are required for meaningful, reliable measurement. The implications for research, and for assessing the quality of individual doctors' 'interpersonal' care are discussed.

What can patients do to improve health care?

OBJECTIVE: To give an overview of the value of different interventions for increasing the role of individual patients in improving the quality of care provision. SEARCH strategy: Medline searches and manual searches in medical journals covering the period from 1980 until June 1997. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies reporting descriptions and evaluations of seven types of interventions that aim to help integrate the needs and preferences of individual patients into health care provision. DATA EXTRACTION: The following information was extracted: assumptions underlying the interventions; resources needed for development and implementation; and acceptability to clinicians. MAIN RESULTS: Several interventions for increasing patients' roles in health care could be successful in clinical practice, such as feeding forward patient data to clinicians, interactive patient education and feedback to health care providers about patients' evaluations of care. The available research focuses on feedback methods. Insights into the benefits and limitations of the use of the different interventions for improving care are limited. CONCLUSION: The active role that patients' views play in the contact with a care provider is often neglected. Promising interventions for the empowerment of individual patients require further development and evaluation.