Attitudes to doctors and medicine: The effect of setting and doctor-patient relationship

OBJECTIVE: There have been few studies of attitudes to doctors and medicine, despite their potential importance in health psychology. The present study examines the effect on attitudes of setting (general practice vs. antenatal) and context (specific doctors vs. doctors in general). METHOD: Interview survey of 167 antenatal attenders and 113 women general practice attenders, using an extended form of the Attitudes to Doctors and Medicine Scale of Marteau (1990). RESULTS: Although antenatal attenders expressed more positive attitudes to doctors and medicine than general practice attenders, differences were small, and only statistically significant for 4 of 19 scale items. Compared with ratings of doctors in general, however, patients gave much more positive ratings to both their family doctor and the antenatal clinic doctors, the latter being rated higher than the former. Antenatal doctors were most likely to be rated as good doctors, to have the patient's absolute confidence, and to know what was best for them (all p<.001). The scale factor structure originally reported by Marteau could not be confirmed. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that attitudes to doctors and medicine are strongly dependent on whether general stereotypes or particular experiences are assessed. They also suggest that the therapeutic context may be an important factor in the formation of attitudes.