Patients derogate physicians who use a computer-assisted diagnostic aid.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether a physician who uses a computer-assisted diagnostic support system (DSS) would be rated less capable than a physician who does not.


METHODS
Students assumed the role of a patient with a possible ankle fracture (experiment 1) or a possible deep vein thrombosis (experiment 2). They read a scenario that described an interaction with a physician who used no DSS, one who used an unspecified DSS, or one who used a DSS developed at a prestigious medical center. Participants were then asked to rate the interaction on 5 criteria, the most important of which was the diagnostic ability of the physician. In experiment 3, 74 patients in the waiting room of a clinic were randomly assigned to the same 3 types of groups as used in experiment 1. In experiment 4, 131 3rd- and 4th-year medical students read a scenario of a physician-patient interaction and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: the physician used no DSS, heeded the recommendation of a DSS, defied a recommendation of a DSS by treating in a less aggressive manner, or defied a recommendation of a DSS by treating in a more aggressive manner .


RESULTS
The participants always deemed the physician who used no decision aid to have the highest diagnostic ability.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients may surmise that a physician who uses a DSS is not as capable as a physician who makes the diagnosis with no assistance from a DSS.
Arkes
Hal R
HR
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1229, USA. arkes.1@osu.edu
Shaffer
Victoria A
VA
Medow
Mitchell A
MA
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009820:Ohio; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis