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The association between physicians' and patients' preventive health practices
Erica Frank1, Yizchak Dresner, Michal Shani
1School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. erica.frank@ubc.ca
Summary
Physicians’ personal preventive health practices positively influence their patients’ health behaviors. This study objectively shows that when doctors adopt preventive measures, their patients are more likely to do the same, promoting a healthier doctor-patient relationship.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Public Health
- Healthcare Quality
Background:
- Limited objective studies exist on the link between physicians' personal health practices and patient health behaviors.
- Physician health practices are often assumed to influence patient adherence to preventive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively investigate the association between physicians' preventive health practices and their patients' uptake of these measures.
- To quantify the relationship between physician and patient adherence to health screenings and vaccinations.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 8 quality of care indicators (screening and vaccination practices) in Israel.
- Included 1,488 primary care physicians and 1,886,791 adult patients within a large health maintenance organization.
- Physicians were also patients within the same healthcare system, allowing for direct comparison.
Main Results:
- Patients whose physicians followed preventive practices were significantly more likely (p < 0.05) to undergo the same measures.
- Stronger associations were observed for more similar preventive practices, such as influenza vaccination.
- Mammography rates were unaffected by physicians' influenza vaccination status, indicating practice specificity.
Conclusions:
- A consistent, positive relationship exists between physicians' and patients' preventive health practices.
- Objective evidence supports the 'healthy doctor-healthy patient' phenomenon.
- Healthcare systems should support and evaluate physician health to improve patient outcomes.
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