Do rural consumers expect a prescription from their GP visit? Investigation of patients' expectations for a prescription and doctors' prescribing decisions in rural Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess patients' expectation for receiving a prescription and GPs' perceptions of patient expectation for a prescription.


METHODS
Matched questionnaire study completed by patients and GPs.


METHODS
Seven general practices in rural Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
The subjects were 481 patients consulting 17 GPs.


METHODS
Patients' expectation for receiving a prescription and GPs' perceptions of patients' expectation.


RESULTS
Ideal expectation (hope) for a prescription was expressed by 57% (274/481) of patients. Sixty-six per cent (313/481) thought it was likely that the doctor would actually give them a prescription. Doctors accurately predicted hope or lack of hope for a prescription in 65% (314/481) of consultations, but were inaccurate in 19% (93/481). A prescription was written in 55% of consultations. No increase in patients' expectation, doctors' perceptions of expectation, or decision to prescribe were detected for patients living a greater distance from the doctors.


CONCLUSIONS
Rural patients demonstrated similar rates of hope for a prescription to those found in previous urban studies. Rural doctors seem to be similarly 'accurate' and 'inaccurate' in determining patients' expectations. Rates of prescribing were comparable to urban rates. Distance was not found to increase the level of patient expectation, affect the doctors' perception or to influence the decision to prescribe.
Cutts
Christopher
C
School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Tett
Susan E
SE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011793:Queensland; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution