Communication and Cognitive Gaps between Inpatients and Attending Physicians- A Study of a Community Teaching Hospital in Central Taiwan

• Main Authors: Sheng-Chieh Kuang, 匡勝捷
• Other Authors: 謝淑惠
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/989e2k

碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 醫務管理學系碩士班 === 106 === In recent years, as medical disputes have continued to occur with increased frequency and severity, doctor-patient relationships have also deteriorated, resulting in the gradual loss of critical care health care professionals. However, most medical disputes can be prevented by strengthening communication between doctors and patients. Effective communication has the positive value of establishing good doctor-patient relationships, improving medical compliance, and increasing the overall level of patient satisfaction. However, it is not uncommon for doctors and patients to hold different perceptions and opinions even after the communication process. These differences in perception can lead to a discrepancy in medical expectations, a decline in the quality of medical care, skepticism with regards to patient safety, and the occurrence of medical disputes. The purpose of this study is to investigate various aspects and levels of differences perceived by doctors and patients for the duration of hospital stay. In order to develop effective “patient-centered” medical care practice, it is vital to examine the differences in perception experienced by doctors and patients during their communication process, and to find effective solutions that can help remedy various situations. In this study, a cross-sectional questionnaire was given to discharged patients over 20 years old from both the internal medicine and surgical departments in a teaching hospital in central Taiwan, with the aim to assess the patient’s perception of the interaction between doctors and patients. A questionnaire containing the same set of questions was then given to the patients’ attending physicians to assess the doctor’s perception of the interaction between doctors and patients. A total of 132 patient questionnaires and 132 attending doctor questionnaires were collected. Doctor-patient pairing methods were used to compare the differences in perception in the interaction between doctors and patients. At the same time, factors such as the patient’s age, gender, education level, marital status, and the attending doctor’s specialization and duration of practice were also analyzed to account for differences in perception between the doctor and the patient. The data in the questionnaire was processed and statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS software. The results of the study show that there are statistically significant differences in perception between doctors and patients with regards to the transmission of information, mutual interaction, and participation in decision-making during hospitalization. The average scores obtained by doctors in each category are lower than those obtained by the patients. Particularly, in terms of whether the patient wants to be more involved in the medical decision-making process, the doctor''s perception is significantly lower than the patient''s expectation. The differences in perception between patients and doctors during the process of medical care are important and worthy of further discussion. If the doctor lacks understanding and awareness of the differences in perception between doctors and patients, this would reduce the hospital’s ability to provide patient-centered medical care, and thereafter increase the risks of medical disputes.