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Patient-Physician Relationship and Service Utilization: Preliminary Findings
Rollin W. Nagel1, Angele McGrady, Denis J. Lynch
1Departments of Family Medicine and Pediatrics, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio.
Summary
Patient characteristics like physical complaints and negative affect significantly influence healthcare service utilization. Understanding these factors can help physicians improve patient encounters and healthcare efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Family Medicine
- Patient-Physician Relationship Dynamics
Background:
- Difficult physician-patient encounters present challenges across healthcare.
- Patient and physician characteristics influence office visits and service use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how patient characteristics and the patient-physician relationship affect healthcare service utilization.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 22 family practice patients and their physicians.
- Data collection included pre/post-visit questionnaires, chart reviews, and billing records for visits and phone calls.
Main Results:
- Patient physical problems correlated with negative affect, office phone calls, and physician-perceived encounter difficulty.
- Office phone calls were linked to life events and patient perceptions of physician warmth and understanding.
Conclusions:
- Life stress, negative affect, physical complaints, and patient perceptions of physicians impact service utilization.
- Physicians can enhance efficiency and productivity by understanding patient characteristics before visits.