title: Patients' perspectives on ideal physician behaviors.
abstract: We incorporated the views of patients to develop a comprehensive set of ideal physician behaviors. Telephone interviews were conducted in 2001 and 2002 with a random sample of 192 patients who were seen in 14 different medical specialties of Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz, and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Interviews focused on the physician-patient relationship and lasted between 20 and 50 minutes. Patients were asked to describe their best and worst experiences with a physician in the Mayo Clinic system and to give specifics of the encounter. The interviewers independently generated and validated 7 ideal behavioral themes that emerged from the interview transcripts. The ideal physician is confident, empathetic, humane, personal, forthright, respectful, and thorough. Ways that physicians can incorporate clues to the 7 ideal physician behaviors to create positive relationships with patients are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: Neeli M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bendapudi
authors.forename: Leonard L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Janet Turner
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Parish
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Rayburn
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010551:Personality; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*