[The patient's right to information: influence of socio-professional factors in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the information provided by primary care doctors to their patients in different phases of the care provision process and to analyse any relationships with socio-professional factors.


METHODS
Descriptive, cross-sectional study based on postal questionnaire.


METHODS
Primary care centres in Murcia, Spain.


METHODS
227 family physicians.


METHODS
Distribution of a questionnaire which includes: a) socio-professional variables (age, sex, marital status, years in practice, years in present post, work environment, previous training, number of patients on list, number of patients seen daily); b) an evaluation of job satisfaction (Likert scale) related to salary, career choice, immediate superiors and daily surgery; and c) the frequency with which information is provided to patients concerning diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, complementary examinations and personal, professional and family impact.


RESULTS
The reply rate was 59%. The percentages of doctors who always provided information concerning diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, complementary examinations and person, professional and family impact was, 23.3%, 7%, 64.3%, 40.5%, and 9.7%, respectively. There was a direct and statistically significant relationship between job satisfaction and the information provided to patients, the doctors feeling most satisfaction providing the most information on the different phases of the care process. On the other hand, there was an inverse and statistically significant relationship between the number of patients on the doctors' lists and the information provided.


CONCLUSIONS
The degree of fulfillment of the patient's right to information is low. Doctors should realise the practical importance of clinical information in their work. There is a general feeling of discontent amongst family doctors, which has a negative impact on their professional activity. A lighter workload would significantly improve the extent to which doctors provide patients with information and mechanisms should be put in place to improve working conditions to avoid the non-fulfillment of the patient's right to information.
Pérez-Cárceles
M D
MD
Area de Medicina Legal, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain. mdperez@um.es
Pereñíguez-Barranco
J E
JE
Osuna-Carrillo de Albornoz
E
E
Luna-Maldonado
A
A
D000328:Adult; D003219:Confidentiality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033283:Patient Access to Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D028701:Patient Rights; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data