The physicians' recognition and attitude about patient education in practice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of physicians' recognition and their attitude towards patient education in actual clinical practice. We sent surveys containing self-questionnaires to one-hundred and fifty physicians in five university hospitals and one general hospital from the period of April to July 1995. The self-questionnaire was designed to evaluate the physicians' recognition and attitude towards patient education at his or her clinical practice. A total of 137 answered-sheets were returned and they were subsequently analyzed. 1) The frequency of physicians' recognition of patient education as an essential component in practice was 76.6%. There was a significant difference between family physicians and other physicians, 97.1% 69.6%, respectively (p = 0.03). 2) The frequency of physicians' accomplishment of a satisfactory doctor-patient relationship was 51.1%; board certified physicians and residents, 79.4%, 43.3%, respectively (p = 0.001). 3) The percentage of physicians who explained details about examinations and procedures was 73.0%, who interpreted the findings of exams, tests and x-rays 72.3%, but who assessed patient readiness to modify behavior was only 29.9%. The frequency of physicians' education to patient about the biomedical diagnosis and treatment was high, but that of physicians' approach towards patient as a biopsychosocial model was relatively low. Therefore, it is concluded that much more time and emphasis should be placed on patient education in the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education curricula.