A multisource and repeated measure approach to assessing patient-physician relationship and patient satisfaction

The object of this study is to compare the multisource assessments of patient-physician relationship with assessments by their patients at two time points. In this observational study, 1,747 outpatients nested under 64 internists and 70 surgeons are surveyed by face-to-face interview at initial patient- physician visits and then in a telephone interview 2 weeks later. On the first evaluation, physicians' self-assessments are not correlated their patients' assessments. At follow-up, physicians' self-assessments correlated with the perceived improvements in patients' health status (p < .05). We also find a positive association (p < .05) between patient satisfaction with their surgeons and perceived improvements of health status at the 2-week follow-up, suggesting that patient satisfaction may be a proxy for symptom or functional improvement. Although most of the ratings of nursing directors, physician peers, administrators, and nonclinical observers are positively associated with the patients' first ratings, the significance of that association disappear by the 2-week follow-up.