Opšta Medicina (Jan 2017)
Impact of the physician-patient relationship on the treatment outcomes of arterial hypertension
Abstract
Objective: The primary objective is to analyze the impact of the physicianpatient relationship on the outcomes of hypertension treatment. Method: The study included 8 family physicians and 240 patients with arterial hypertension, selected according to specific criteria. Physicians were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of physicians who have had completed training in communications, while group 2 was comprised of those with no training in medical communications. Each physician was accompanied by a group of thirty patients with hypertension. The interaction between physician and patient was evaluated using the Bales interaction process analysis. During the 12 months, the functional parameters, blood pressure, patient compliance and patient satisfaction were monitored. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between two groups of physicians in all 12 categories of Bales Interaction Analysis. Physicians from group 1 were showing more empathy, humor, understanding, interest for patient background and their opinion compared to group 2 physicians. The mean systolic blood pressure level of the patients treated by physicians which belonged to group 1 decreased from 155.25 to 137.16 mmHg and diastolic from 94.20 to 79.3 mmHg. Statistically significant improvements in work performance, activities of daily living, psychological function, social activity, compliance and patient's satisfaction were also found in group 1 after 12 months. Conclusion: The study showed that physician-patient relationship significantly affects treatment outcomes in patients with arterial hypertension. Communication with patients can be improved by introducing interaction elements that are not exclusively related to the causes and characteristics of diseases, giving the relevant information and increasing intelligibility of this information during the encounter.
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