RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patients’ Commitment to Their Primary Physician and Why It Matters
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 6
OP 13
DO 10.1370/afm.757
VO 6
IS 1
A1 Leonard L. Berry
A1 Janet Turner Parish
A1 Ramkumar Janakiraman
A1 Lee Ogburn-Russell
A1 Glen R. Couchman
A1 William L. Rayburn
A1 Jedidiah Grisel
YR 2008
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/6/1/6.abstract
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.