Related Experiment Videos
Would your patients prefer to be your clients?
Arthur C Wittich1, Jennifer Junnila, Jerome Buller
1Department of Surgery, DeWitt Army Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5901, USA. drwittich@aol.com
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
|November 19, 2003
Summary
Patients overwhelmingly prefer traditional terms like "patient" and "doctor" over newer managed care terminology. This preference holds true across various age groups and genders, indicating a desire for established professional relationships in healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare communication
- Patient-centered care
- Medical sociology
Background:
- The managed care era has introduced new terminology, rebranding patients as 'clients' or 'consumers' and physicians as 'providers' or 'vendors'.
- This shift in language may impact patient perceptions and the patient-physician relationship.
- Understanding patient preferences for terminology is crucial for effective healthcare communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patient preferences between traditional terms (patient, doctor) and managed care-era terms.
- To determine if demographic factors influence these preferences.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire with four questions was administered to obstetrics/gynecology and family practice patients.
- Responses from 211 patients were analyzed using logistic regression for statistical significance (P < .05).
Main Results:
- 84% of respondents preferred to be called 'patient'.
- 78% believed their physicians should be called 'doctor'.
- Patient age and gender did not significantly affect terminology preferences.
Conclusions:
- Patients, irrespective of age or gender, favor traditional terms like 'patient' and 'doctor'.
- The study highlights a disconnect between healthcare industry language and patient preferences.
- Maintaining traditional terminology may foster stronger patient-provider relationships.