Important qualities in physiatrists: Perceptions of rehabilitation team members and patients

Objective: To determine the personal qualities important in physiatrists as described by patients and rehabilitation team members. Design: An oral survey. Setting: Adult rehabilitation service at a teaching rehabilitation institut ion affiliated with an academic medical center. Participants: Convenience sample of 171 people including inpatients, rehabi litation nurses, occupational and physical therapists, and resident and ful l-time attending physicians. Interventions: Two questions to elicit the personal qualities that were con sidered important in a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician. Main Outcome Measures: Subjects' responses grouped as personal qualities (p ersonality), working qualities (professionalism), competence, caring, and c ollegiality. Results: Caring and competence qualities were the most important to patient s. Collegiality and caring were valued most by the rehabilitation staff. Pe rsonal qualities and competence were of relatively greater importance to th e physiatrists. Conclusions: There was significant variability in the relative value assign ed to each of the five groups of traits among the respondents. Knowledge of the desires and expectations of the people involved in the rehabilitation process may benefit rehabilitation patients, physicians, and staff.