Predictors of Physicians' Attitudes Toward Sharing Information With Patients and Addressing Psychosocial Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

Abstract

Sharing information with patients and addressing their psychosocial needs are recognized as fundamental practices of patient-centered physicians. Our study explored predictors of physicians' patient-centered attitudes and yielded a better understanding of the relative influences of job satisfaction, employment status, specialty, previous communication skills training, and sociodemographic factors. Physicians who participated in 13 identical workshops offered throughout Greece were invited to complete a battery of anonymous questionnaires (demographics, job satisfaction scale, Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale-Sharing subscale, and Physician Belief Scale). Prediction models were used to identify predictors of patient-centered attitudes. In total, 400 fully completed questionnaires were returned (response rate 79.8%). Job satisfaction, previous training in communication skills, younger age and lower socioeconomic status were predictors of positive attitudes toward sharing information with patients. Job satisfaction, previous training in communication skills, and stronger religious beliefs were predictors of higher psychosocial orientation. Job satisfaction and training in communication skills should be ensured in the effort to develop and maintain patient-centered attitudes in physicians. Religious beliefs, age, and socioeconomic status should be taken into consideration in the effort to help physicians become aware of their biases.

An Australian survey of audiologists’ preferences for patient-centredness

“…Female medical practitioners and students tend to report greater preference for patient-centredness than their male counterparts (Haidet et al, 2002;Krupat et al, 2000;Wahlqvist et al, 2010). Cultural, socio-economic, and religious background can also explain preferences for patient-centredness among medical practitioners and students (Haidet et al, 2002;Tsimtsiou et al, 2012). Further, experienced medical practitioners show greater patient-centred behaviours than their less experienced peers (Krupat et al, 2000;Wahlqvist et al, …”

“…Practitioners from some medical specialities also have greater preferences for patient-centredness than others (Chan & Ahmad, 2011). Further, medical practitioners trained in communication skills show greater preferences for patient-centredness than their peers who have not received such training (Tsimtsiou et al, 2012).…”

“…The PPOS has been used to assess the preferences of practitioners and students in the areas of medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, and dentistry, and patients with respect to patient-centredness (e.g. Beattie et al, 2012;Carlsen & Aavik, 2006;Carlsen et al, 2008;Chan & Ahmad, 2012;Cvengros et al, 2007;Davis et al, 2006;Grilo et al, 2014;Haidet et al, 2001Haidet et al, , 2002Krupat et al, 1996Krupat et al, , 2000Krupat et al, , 2001Lee et al, 2008;Moore, 2009;Ribeiro et al, 2007;Ross & Haidet, 2011;Shaw et al, 2012;Street et al, 2003;Tsimtsiou et al, 2007Tsimtsiou et al, , 2012Wahlqvist et al, 2010). The 18-item PPOS was devised following principal component analysis of the scores of medical practitioners and patients on an earlier 61-item questionnaire (Krupat et al, 1996).…”

“…Chan & Ahmad, 2011;Haidet et al, 2002;Krupat et al, 2000;Tsimtsiou et al, 2012;Wahlqvist et al, 2010). Female medical practitioners and students tend to report greater preference for patient-centredness than their male counterparts (Haidet et al, 2002;Krupat et al, 2000;Wahlqvist et al, 2010).…”

Determinants of patients’ attitudes toward patient-centered care: A cross-sectional study in Greece

“…Although better health status has been associated in outpatients with increased need for sharing information and power with the physician [5,7,11], an American study in hospitalized patients demonstrated that better health was associated with their preference to have the physician make their treatment decisions [6], possibly reflecting the influence of different health care contexts and type of decisions that have to be made. Moreover, although an association between the strength of religious beliefs and patient-centered attitudes has been previously described in Greek medical students and physicians, the effect of religious beliefs is an understudied parameter in patients' attitudes [6]; more specifically, there has been described a negative influence on students' attitudes toward sharing information and a positive influence on physicians' psychosocial orientation [12,13]. Furthermore, in primary care settings, psychological co-morbidity was found to have an impact on patients' preferences for shared decision-making [8], while low perceived social support was associated with problematic resident-patient relationships [14].…”