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[How the patients on sick leave assess the Medical Inspector: The Institut Català d'Avaluacions Mèdiques (ICAM)
G Gálvez Hernando1, J J Mira Solves, J Jardí Lliberia
1Departament de Salut, Institut Català d'Avaluacions Mèdiques, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, España. gloria.galvez@gencat.cat
Objective:
To analyse the patient perception of the medical inspector, and to examine whether this perception is related with the outcome of the medical report.
Material And Methods:
A cross-sectional study based on telephone interviews with a random sample of patients visited in Catalonia in 2010 for temporary (TSL) or permanent (PSL) sick leave. The study was conducted in November 2011. A stratified sample considering the time from the consultation and province where patients were visited was used. The scale was assessed by Intraclass Correlation coefficient (0.93, 95% CI; 0.92-0.94) and testing with the Spearman-Brown split-half coefficient (0.93).
Results:
A total of 609 patients were surveyed. A majority of them (400; 65.7%) had a positive opinion of the medical inspector. When PSL was denied, the assessment was worse (P=.002), this was different when TSL was cancelled. Patients who did not continue in PSL stated that doctor's decisions were determined by non-medical interests, and not oriented to the defence of the patient's rights (odds ratio 2.8, 95% CI; 1.7 to 4.8). When the perceptions were negative, patients focus their criticism on the role of medical inspector (P<.001), and not about the organisational aspects.
Conclusions:
When inspectors cancel PSL, patient's perception is strongly associated with a negative assessment of their performance, capacity and independence of the physician. This is not so in the case of TSL.
