title: Patients' poor communication with their doctors in the first visit of the gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate patients' communication with their gynecologists in the first visit of the gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a questionnaire to evaluate 379 women' expectations of their first visit, information-giving about illness, and understanding of the consultation they encountered from April to August 2010. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the first visit, 55% (208/379) of participants hoped to get the doctors' special attention, and 60% (227/379) of patients expected a very satisfying consultation. During the consultation, only 34% (129/379) of patients provided their case history clearly according to physicians' inquiry, 21% (81/379) of patients understood the examination and 28% (105/379) of patients understood the therapeutic regime after doctors' explanation. Correlation analysis showed that sociodemographic characteristics such as young age (under 20 years old), low level of education (primary school or less), and lack of medical knowledge affected patients' information-giving about illness and understanding of their first visit (all ps < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients expected a patient-centered doctor-patient communication in gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics. They could not communicate well with their doctors, which was affected by age, education, and medical background.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , West China 2nd Hospital of Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , West China 2nd Hospital of Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Zi-Yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , West China 2nd Hospital of Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: She
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , West China 2nd Hospital of Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Hai-Ke
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D004522:Educational Status; D004704:Endocrinology; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Consultation; doctor–patient communication; gynecological endocrinology; information-giving; understand