Specialist Physicians’ Sensitivity to Patient Affect and Satisfaction

Abstract

Background: 

Studies indicate that physicians do not respond adequately to patients’ emotional issues. Physician sensitivity to patient affect has not been much explored.

Objectives: 

To describe specialist physicians’ sensitivity to patient affect and satisfaction.

Research Design: 

Cross-sectional study of physicians’ and patients’ postvisit questionnaire statements about patient affective states and satisfaction.

Subjects: 

A representative sample of 71 physicians covering nonpsychiatric clinical specialties in a general teaching hospital were observed during 497 encounters with patients (outpatient, inpatient on rounds, emergency room, maximum 8 encounters per physician).

Measures: 

Standardized correlations between physician and patient statements.

Results: 

Physician statements about patient negative affect were moderately correlated with patient self-report of negative affect [r=0.379 (0.301; 0.452)]. Physician statements about patient positive affect and patient satisfaction were weakly correlated with patient self-report of positive affect [r=0.238 (0.153; 0.319)] and satisfaction [r=0.219 (0.134; 0.301)]. Internists [r=0.300 (0.161; 0.428)] were significantly less sensitive to negative affect than surgeons [r=0.500 (0.360; 0.618), P=0.038] and neurologists [r=0.621 (0.432; 0.758), P=0.007]. Physicians previously known by the patient were significantly more sensitive to negative affect than those who were not known [r=0.509 (0.391; 0.611) vs. 0.293 (0.189; 0.390), P=0.006]. We could not find differences in affective sensitivity between male and female physicians.

Conclusions: 

Specialist physicians have moderate ability to identify patient negative affect and poor ability to identify patient positive affect and patient satisfaction.