The doctor—patient relationship in US primary care

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

The Royal Society of Medicine

RESUMO

Changes in the organization of primary care in the UK are driven by a need to improve access and availability, but doctor—patient relationships may suffer. To investigate the importance of such relationships in a different setting, we analysed focus-group data obtained in a primary care facility in the USA (Rochester, NY). The findings pointed to three key factors in these relationships—namely, an asymmetry of perceptions on the two sides, belying the notion of a meeting of experts; the importance on both sides of ‘liking’; and the value set by both parties on development of trust. The last two of these factors are probably related to continuity of care, now under threat.

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