Cure-oriented versus care-oriented attitudes in medicine

This article focuses on the attitudinal component of patient-centredness. T he literature reveals that the relationship between cure- and care-oriented attitudes remains to be clarified. The aim of this study is to gain furthe r insight in the relationship between cure and care attitudes by questionin g the bipolar unidimensional structure of the concept. By means of an empir ical analysis among Belgian medical students, the cure versus care attitude s regarding the 'ideal physician' are investigated. Traits of the ideal phy sician are described in a bipolar rating scale reflecting cure-oriented ver sus care-oriented views of the medical profession. Subjects included 88 med ical students of the Limburgs University Centre in Diepenbeek, Belgium. Res ults indicate that the Belgian sample is less care-oriented than the Dutch sample. Further, a factor-analysis reveals two components which correspond with the instrumental (cure) and the affective dimension (care) of the medical prof ession. The advantages of a two-dimensional framework as a basis for the de velopment of courses aimed at attitude development in the curriculum of a m edical school are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.