Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Does computer use in patient-physician encounters influence patient satisfaction?
Sarah Lelievre1, Karen Schultz
1sarah_lelievre@hotmail.com
Insights
Most patients have no preference regarding physician computer use during visits. However, computer use positively impacts overall patient satisfaction, and doctors' attitudes toward technology influence patient preferences.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Patient-Physician Interaction
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Physician computer use during patient encounters is increasingly common.
- Understanding patient perceptions of this technology is crucial for optimizing healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of physician computer use on patient satisfaction in a family medicine setting.
- To explore patient preferences and perceived effects of computer use on the patient-physician interaction.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional mailed survey was conducted.
- 300 adult patients from a family medicine teaching center were randomly sampled.
- The survey assessed patient preferences and the impact of computer use on interaction aspects.
Main Results:
- A 58.3% response rate was achieved. Most patients (51.4%) had no preference regarding physician computer use.
- 88.0% of patients reported high satisfaction with their visits.
- Positive effects of computer use were noted on overall satisfaction (57.1%), though distraction and non-medical chat time were unaffected.
Conclusions:
- Physician computer use appears to positively influence patient satisfaction without a strong patient preference for or against it.
- Physician attitudes towards computer use significantly correlate with patient preferences.
- The study highlights the nuanced impact of technology on the patient experience in primary care.
Objective:
To assess whether computer use by physicians during the patient-physician encounter influences patient satisfaction in a family medicine teaching centre.
Design:
Cross-sectional mailed survey.
Setting:
Queen's University Family Medicine Centre in Kingston, Ont.
Participants:
A random sample of 300 patients from the family medicine centre, all of whom were older than 18 years of age and had visited their family physicians in the past year.
Main Outcome Measures:
Patient preference for or against computer use by the physician and effect of computer use on various aspects of patient-physician interaction.
Results:
The response rate was 58.3%. Most respondents (51.4%) had no preference about computer use in the office, and most (88.0%) were either "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their visits. When assessing the influence of patient and visit characteristics on computer preference, only the "doctor's attitude toward computer use" had a positive correlation with patient preference (P=.0012). Respondents were most likely to indicate "positive" or "very positive" effects of computer use on all aspects of the patient-physician interaction, except "level of distraction of the doctor" and "time spent chatting about nonmedical matters," which were most commonly reported as being unaffected by computer use. Specifically, 57.1% of respondents thought that computer use had either a "positive" or "very positive" effect on their overall satisfaction with their visits, with another 30.3% believing there was no effect.
Conclusion:
Most patients expressed no preference for whether or not computers were used in their physicians' offices, although computers did seem to have a positive effect on overall satisfaction with visits. Doctors' attitudes toward computer use influenced their patients' preferences.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Patient-centered Care
01:18Guidelines and Strategies for Safe Computer Charting
Maintain Confidentiality and Security:
01:27Nursing Clinical Information System
A Nursing Clinical Information System (NCIS) is a specialized type of healthcare information system tailored to meet the unique needs of nursing practice. It incorporates the principles of nursing informatics to streamline information management and improve the quality of care delivery.
Critical attributes of NCIS include:
01:30Health Information Technology and Healthcare Information System
Health Information Technology, commonly called HIT, integrates advanced information systems and technology in healthcare settings. Its primary functions include:
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:30Methods of Documentation VII: EMR