Open AccessPatients’ sense of responsibility to healthcare providers and its predictors: A national cross-sectional survey in China
Author(s) -
Beizhu Ye,
Xinzi Wang,
Fang Wang,
Ping Zhang,
Yao Cheng,
Yi Sun,
Hongwei Jiang,
Qi Hua,
Aiguo Liu,
Yang Liu,
Xi Zhu,
Naixing Zhang,
Yuan Liang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0207361
Subject(s) - cross sectional study , health care , feeling , family medicine , medicine , social responsibility , health professionals , perception , nursing , psychology , social psychology , public relations , political science , pathology , neuroscience , law
Objectives To evaluate patients’ sense of responsibility to healthcare providers and to determine its predictors using on a national sample in China. Methods We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in China with a stratified cluster sample of patients treated in 77 hospitals between July 2014 and April 2015. Patients’ sense of responsibility to healthcare providers was measured with four questions assessing patients’ perceptions regarding their responsibilities to respect doctors, respect nurses, coordinate with health professionals, and comply with hospital rules. Predictors included patient sociodemographic characteristics and their past hospitalization experience. Results Small proportions of respondents reported that they perceived having no responsibility to respect doctors (8.9%), respect nurses (7.9%), comply with hospital rules (6.7%), or coordinate with health professionals (6.3%). Multivariate regression analyses showed that the strongest predictor of patients’ sense of responsibility to healthcare providers was patinets’ trust in health professionals, followed by patients’ education level. Familiarity with healthcare professionals and past hospitalization frequency were inversely associated with patients’ sense of responsibility to healthcare providers. Conclusions Although only a small proportion of the patients reported feeling no or low sense of responsibility to healthcare providers, the lack of respect and collaboration from these patients can negatively affect patient-provider relationships. Healthcare administrators need to communicate clearly with the patients and the public about the role of patients and the limitations of medicine in order to instill a sense of patients’ responsibility.