PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Berry, Leonard L. AU - Parish, Janet Turner AU - Janakiraman, Ramkumar AU - Ogburn-Russell, Lee AU - Couchman, Glen R. AU - Rayburn, William L. AU - Grisel, Jedidiah TI - Patients’ Commitment to Their Primary Physician and Why It Matters AID - 10.1370/afm.757 DP - 2008 Jan 01 TA - The Annals of Family Medicine PG - 6--13 VI - 6 IP - 1 4099 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/6/1/6.short 4100 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/6/1/6.full SO - Ann Fam Med2008 Jan 01; 6 AB - PURPOSE The patient-physician relationship is the cornerstone of health care service delivery. The objectives of this study were to assess the contribution of relationship commitment along with trust to patient-physician relationships and to evaluate the association of commitment and trust with adherence to medical advice and healthy eating behaviors. METHODS To test the proposed model, we developed a questionnaire that included both existing scales and a scale constructed specifically for the study; the questions addressed trust, commitment, adherence to physicians’ medical recommendations, and healthy eating behavior. The questionnaire was given to adult patients in the waiting rooms of 4 large clinics in central Texas. RESULTS A total of 1,008 patients returned questionnaires; 869 patients’ questionnaires were complete and used in the analysis. A 3-stage least squares analysis that tested a system of 4 equations which included relationship commitment yielded a systemwide R2 of 0.71 that was 0.09 higher than a system of equations excluding relationship commitment. Trust and commitment were positively associated with adherence (P <.001 and P = .02, respectively). We also found positive relationships between adherence and commitment and between trust and commitment (P <.001 for each). Adherence and commitment were both associated with healthy eating behavior as well (P <.001 for each). CONCLUSIONS Patients’ trust in their physician and commitment to the relationship offer a more complete understanding of the patient-physician relationship. In addition, trust and commitment favorably influence patients’ health behaviors.