Differences in priorities between patients and doctors part of complications in managing care, University of Michigan survey finds
While a doctor might be concerned about a patient's hypertension, the patient might be more worried about pain or depression symptoms, according to a new University of Michigan survey.
The findings highlight the difference in priorities between about one-third of doctors and patients when it comes to managing health conditions.
“If a patient and their doctor do not agree on which of these issues should be prioritized, it will be difficult for them to come up with an effective treatment plan together,” the lead author of the report, Donna Zulman -Â a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Michigan Medical School and researcher at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Ann Arbor - said in a release.
The findings were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The survey was conduced at both U-M and the Ann Arbor VA hospital by asking questions of nearly 100 doctors and their about 1,200 patient with diabetes and hypertension. In about a third of cases, doctors and patient did not see eye-to-eye on the priority of treating different health conditions.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
Comments
Kathleen
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.
Unfortunately starting where the patient/client is at is often a problem in numerous levels of human services provision (ie. health care, social services). I often wish my doctors were my dilligent about following up with me on tests because NOT knowing the cause of an agreed problem is as stressful as dealing with it to begin with. In social work we always seem to be trying to fit round pegs in our square holes. I sometimes think "customer satisfaction" is just another American myth.