A new survey conducted at the Cleveland Clinic has revealed some interesting information regarding patients and gripes they may have with their doctors. The survey included 1,000 adults.
Nearly 85% of those surveyed said their doctor does something that bugs them. Almost half of them said waiting for a long time to see the doctor was aggravating, and 11% said they get most upset when their doctor rushes them. About 4% of the participants said a sense of not being remembered by their doctor annoyed them the most, and the same percentage also said that they felt bothered the most when they left the appointment without a followup plan.
Interestingly, older patients were more likely to report their last doctor visit as positive, while younger patients were less likely to report a positive visit. Overall, the one thing patients reported wanting from their doctor was empathy. About 82% said they would overlook common grievances if the doctor was empathetic towards them.
The majority of patients interviewed said they would not “blindly” take everything the doctor says as a fact. Just 36% said they trust everything a doctor tells them, and always do what the doctor advises. Almost half of the patients interviewed said they ask their doctor questions, and challenge the doctor’s opinion.
While most patients said they don’t lie to their doctor, those that said they have lied said it’s mainly because they want to avoid being judged, or lectured to, or are afraid of the truth…….. huffposthealth 1/17/14