Patient reflections: saying good-bye to a retiring family doctor

The purpose of this study was to describe the doctor-patient relationship as expressed in written comments to a retiring family physician.

All 200 of the written notes and e-mails to a single family physician retiring after 42 years in practice were examined using content analysis for general themes and meaning. No phone or personal verbal responses were included.

Seven themes emerged with regards to what patients appreciated in their family physician relationship. These included "being there," caring, medical expertise, personal characteristics, multiple roles/anything goes, family, and continuity.

Analyzing comments from actual patients at the end of a long-term relationship with an individual physician confirms beliefs of what patients consider important based on theoretical models, surveys, and interviews.