Richard L. Street|Paul Haidet
How Well Do Doctors Know their Patients? Factors Affecting Physician Understanding of Patients’ Health Beliefs
Texas A&M University|Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center|Pennsylvania State University
important feature patientcentered care physician understanding patients health beliefs valuesdetermine physicians awareness patients health beliefs well communication relationship demographic factors associated better physician understanding patients illness perspectivescrosssectional observational study research participants convenience sample 207 patients 29 primary care physicians 10 outpatient clinics approach measures consultation patients physicians independently completed connect instrument measure assesses beliefs degree patients condition biological cause patients fault one patient control meaning patient treated natural remedies patient preferences partnership physician physicians completed measure thought patient responded active patient participation frequency questions concerns acts assertiveness coded audiorecordings consultations physicians answers thought patient responded health belief measure compared patients actual responses degree physician understanding patients health beliefs computed absolute difference patients health beliefs physicians perception patients health beliefsphysicians perceptions patients health beliefs differed significantly p0001 patients actual beliefs physicians also thought patients beliefs aligned physicians better understanding degree patients believed health conditions personal meaning p0001 would benefit natural remedies p0049 conditions patient could control p0001 wanted partnership doctor p0014 patients often asked questions expressed concerns stated opinions physicians poorer judges patients beliefs patients africanamerican desire partnership p0013 hispanic meaning p0075 different race sense control p0024physicians good judges patients health beliefs substantially better understanding patients actively participated consultation strategies increasing physicians awareness patients health beliefs include preconsultation assessment patients beliefs implementing culturally appropriate patient activation programs greater use partnershipbuilding encourage active patient participation