DO PHYSICIANS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PATIENTS EXPECTATIONS

To determine whether patient expectations are fulfilled when they are expressed to physicians, self-administrated questionnaires were given to 360 consecutive ambulatory patients. Information was randomly given or not given to physicians. Diagnosis (94% ), information about progn osis (82% ) and prevention (76% ), and continuing care (80% ) were imp ortant expectations. There was no agreement between global or individu al patient expectation and physician response (kappa less-than-or-equa l-to 0.3). The physicians prescribed more medications than expected, a nd almost never discussed prevention or prognosis. Finally, the charac teristics of care were not different between the physicians who knew a nd those who did not know patient expectations. The authors conclude t hat ambulatory patients visit physicians to receive a diagnosis, conti nuing care, and information about prognosis and prevention. In this st udy, physician knowledge of those expectations did not increase their fulfillment.