Patients' perceptions of physicians' epistemic authority when recommending flu inoculation

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Health Psychology
• Patient-Physician Communication

Background:

• Patient perception of physician expertise is crucial for treatment adherence.
• Factors influencing patient perception of physician knowledge and expertise (epistemic authority; EA) require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how agreement on flu inoculation, physician gender, and treatment setting (private vs. public) influence patient perception of physician expertise (EA).
• To understand patient expectations regarding physician roles in treatment recommendations.

Main Methods:

• 187 participants (111 women, 76 men) evaluated physician EA using four scenarios.
• Scenarios featured male/female physicians in private/public practice recommending flu inoculation (for/against).
• Participant preference for inoculation was measured pre-scenario; physician EA was the dependent measure.

Main Results:

• Physicians recommending flu inoculation were rated higher in EA than those advising against it.
• Agreement between patient preference and physician recommendation significantly impacted EA, particularly when recommending inoculation.
• Patients favoring inoculation perceived physicians in public clinics as having lower EA than those in private clinics.

Conclusions:

• Patient evaluations of physician EA are shaped by beliefs about the physician's role.
• Patients expect physicians to recommend active treatment over abstention, influencing perceived expertise.