After-hours visits--doctors' and patients' attitudes. An investigation and comparison.
The fact that doctors and patients view the after-hours visit in a markedly different fashion is illustrated by this study by 9 doctors and their patients. It was found that attitudinal factors play a large part in the initiation (by the patient) of a visit as well as in the execution (by the doctor) of one. As after-hours calls play such an important role in a health care system and are extremely costly it is suggested that education of both doctors and patients is needed to limit calls.
D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires