A strategy for improving patient satisfaction by the intensive training of residents in psychosocial medicine: a controlled, randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
To use a controlled, randomized design to assess the effect on patient satisfaction of an intensive psychosocial training program for residents.


METHODS
Twenty-six first-year residents, in two internal medicine and family practice community-based programs affiliated with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, were randomly assigned during 1991 and 1992 to a control group or a one-month intensive training program. Experiential teaching focused on many psychosocial skills required in primary care. A 29-item questionnaire administered before and after the residents' training evaluated their patients' satisfaction regarding patient disclosure, physician empathy, confidence in physician, general satisfaction, and comparison of the physician with other physicians. Analyses of covariance with groups and gender as factors and pre-training patient satisfaction scores as the covariate evaluated the effect of the training.


RESULTS
The patients of the trained residents expressed more confidence in their physicians (p = .01) and more general satisfaction (p = .02) than did the patients of controls. The effect of training on patient satisfaction with patient disclosure (p < .01) and physician empathy (p < .05) was greater for female than for male residents.


CONCLUSIONS
The intensive psychosocial training program for residents improved their patients' satisfaction.
Smith
R C
RC
B306 Clinical Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA.
Lyles
J S
JS
Mettler
J A
JA
Marshall
A A
AA
Van Egeren
L F
LF
Stoffelmayr
B E
BE
Osborn
G G
GG
Shebroe
V
V
D002983:Clinical Competence; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education*; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods