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Patients Treated With Respect More Likely To Follow Medical Advice

Date:
September 2, 2005
Source:
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Summary:
Attention doctors: Want patients to follow your advice? Treat them with dignity, a Johns Hopkins study has found. In a national survey of more than 5,000 Americans, those who said they were treated with dignity during their last medical encounter were more likely to report higher levels of satisfaction with their care, adhere to therapy and get preventive services.
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Attention doctors: Want patients to follow your advice? Treat them with dignity, a Johns Hopkins study has found.

In a national survey of more than 5,000 Americans, those who said theywere treated with dignity during their last medical encounter were morelikely to report higher levels of satisfaction with their care, adhereto therapy and get preventive services.

Hopkins researchers, using data from the Commonwealth Fund 2001 HealthCare Quality Survey, interviewed 5,514 Americans who reported having amedical encounter within the previous two years and who were white,African American, Hispanic or Asian. Most respondents were female (65percent), had at least some college education (62 percent), had incomesof more than 200 percent of the poverty level (66 percent), and spokeEnglish as their primary language (93 percent).

Overall, 76 percent of respondents reported being treated with a greatdeal of respect and dignity, and 77 percent reported being involved indecisions to the extent that they wished.

Being treated with dignity was significantly associated with adherenceto treatment plans for racial and ethnic minorities, whereas beinginvolved in decisions was significantly associated with adherence forwhites.

These results are published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

"Although involving patients in decisions is an important part ofrespecting their autonomy, it is equally important to respect patientsmore broadly by treating them with dignity," says Mary C. Beach, M.D.,M.P.H., lead author and an assistant professor of medicine.



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Materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. "Patients Treated With Respect More Likely To Follow Medical Advice." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 September 2005. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050902070215.htm>.
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. (2005, September 2). Patients Treated With Respect More Likely To Follow Medical Advice. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050902070215.htm
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. "Patients Treated With Respect More Likely To Follow Medical Advice." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050902070215.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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