The difficult doctor? Characteristics of physicians who report frustration with patients: an analysis of survey data

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  • Krebs, Erin E
    • Other Affiliation: Center for Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
  • Garrett, Joanne
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Konrad, Thomas
    • Affiliation: Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Abstract
  • Abstract Background Literature on difficult doctor-patient relationships has focused on the "difficult patient." Our objective was to determine physician and practice characteristics associated with greater physician-reported frustration with patients. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the Physicians Worklife Survey, which surveyed a random national sample of physicians. Participants were 1391 family medicine, general internal medicine, and medicine subspecialty physicians. The survey assessed physician and practice characteristics, including stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, practice setting, work hours, case-mix, and control over administrative and clinical practice. Physicians estimated the percentage of their patients who were "generally frustrating to deal with." We categorized physicians by quartile of reported frustrating patients and compared characteristics of physicians in the top quartile to those in the other three quartiles. We used logistic regression to model physician characteristics associated with greater frustration. Results In unadjusted analyses, physicians who reported high frustration with patients were younger (p < 0.001); worked more hours per week (p = 0.041); and had more symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety (p < 0.004 for all). In the final model, factors independently associated with high frustration included age < 40 years, work hours > 55 per week, higher stress, practice in a medicine subspeciality, and greater number of patients with psychosocial problems or substance abuse. Conclusion Personal and practice characteristics of physicians who report high frustration with patients differ from those of other physicians. Understanding factors contributing to physician frustration with patients may allow us to improve the quality of patient-physician relationships.
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  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Rights holder
  • Erin E Krebs et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
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Journal title
  • BMC Health Services Research
Journal volume
  • 6
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 128
Language
  • English
Is the article or chapter peer-reviewed?
  • Yes
ISSN
  • 1472-6963
Bibliographic citation
  • BMC Health Services Research. 2006 Oct 06;6(1):128
Publisher
  • BioMed Central Ltd
Access right
  • Open Access
Date uploaded
  • September 5, 2012

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file details 1472-6963-6-128.pdf 2019-05-06 Public Download
file details Factor analysis of control measures. The table shows factor analysis results for survey items measuring physicians' perceived control over aspects of practice. 2019-05-06 Public Download
file details 1472-6963-6-128.xml 2019-05-06 Public Download