E VA L U AT I N G T H E G A P B E T W E E N P H Y S I C I A N S ’ A N D PAT I E N T S ’ U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F PAT I E N T N E E D S Djambazov SN1, Vekov TY2, Petrov D3 Cancer clinics Doc Dr Valentina Tsekova, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2Medical University Pleven, Pleven, Bulgaria, 3Bulgarian Medical Union, Sofia, Bulgaria,
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OBJECTIVES We wanted to establish the gap between physicians’ and patients’ understanding of patient needs in a hospital setting.
METHODS The study was run in the four of the Bulgarian Cardiac Institute clinics. We used questionnaires. Within a period of two months, first we asked 30 physicians and 50 patients about what patient needs are according to their understanding. Based on the answers we defined 10 categories for each of the two groups. Then we asked 143 physicians and MAXIMUM DIFFERENCE SCALING 500 patients to define which category is most and least important for them by using the Maximum Difference Scaling technique1. People tend to rate as important things they don’t actually consider important. That’s why we used a very interesting technique, called the MaxDiff technique or Maximum Difference Scaling 1 . It allows the researchers to avoid common mistakes and results in better differentiation than ratings and rankings. It was also easier for the participants to digest the information as the items were 10 for each group. The technique works like this: each participant received a list of 5 items and had to choose the MOST and the LEAST important from them and… nothing more.
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143 physicians 500 patients
RESULTS What is most important to the patients?
According to the patients 1) Courtesy
! 2) After discharge recommendation !
3) Information about discharge drugs
CONCLUSIONS
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There is a tremendous gap between patients’ and physicians' perceptions of patient needs. It is very hard for the hospitals to increase patient satisfaction relying on medical services only. Further research is needed to find ways to close that gap.
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According to the physicians 1) Life-saving activities
! 2) Improvement of quality of life !
3) Improvement of the longevity
REFERENCES 1. Eric Almquist, Jason Lee, What Do Customers Really Want?, Harvard Business Review, April 2009
CONTACT INFO
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Medical University Sofia HTA Faculty
[email protected]
