Patient and staff perceptions of caring: review and replication

The present study identified patient (n = 86) and nursing staff (n = 73) perceptions of most and least important caring behaviours. Using a Swedish version of the CARE-Q instrument or a free rating scale, patients ranked items concerned with giving honest and clear information and competent clinical expertise as most important. The nursing staff ranked expressive/affective behaviours as most important. There were significant differences between the two groups in the ranking of 14-30 out of 50 specific behaviours and in 3-5 out of 6 subscales. Patient and staff ratings did not differ appreciably between the methods used, with the exception that staff gave much higher ratings to most items in the free response format. Patients were more discriminating in the importance they assigned to the various items.