The evaluation of patient-physician communication according to perspective of patient and physician at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital polyclinic applies

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: This study aims the evaluation of quality of patient-physician communication according to perspective of patient and physician at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital polyclinic applies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, patients randomly assigned who applied at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital polyclinics of internal and surgical clinics between the dates of July 1, 2017 and August 31, 2017 who were 18 years and older and volunteered to participate in the study. In the same way the physicians assigned who got interview with those participants. Questionnaires were administered to the physicians and patients separately after the interview as data collection tool. In the questionnaires which administered to patients, there were overall 27 questions;12 questions about sociodemographic characteristics and general medical state, 15 questions about the attribution of physicians skills of communication during interview. In the questionnaires which administered to physicians there were overall 23 questions;8 questions about sociodemographic characteristics,15 questions about the evaluation of own communication skills during interview. Data processing and analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 21.0. P<0,05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Thıs study included overall 99 participants;28 phsycians and 71 patients. 71 interviews were analysed for evaluation of the patient-physician communication. There was not any 'very bad' or 'bad' rating in all 15 communication expressions at the assessments of patients. %98,6 (n=70) of patients rated the communacitıon skills of the physicians as 'very good' and 'good'. The mean of the patients assessment scores were higher than physicians self-assessment scores (p<0,05). Both patients and physicians assessments were not associated with sociodemographic characteristics (p>0,05). CONCLUSION: Patient-physician communication is a subject which has to be focused on and practiced to improve. In this study, it was generally concluded that patients were satisfied with the communication skills of the physicians. Besides, it is seen that physicians evaluate themselves more critically than patients and it is seen that those who expressed their need for education in this regard are at a level not to be underestimated. Even if the present results are limited with the study, the results are important because of the qualitative features of the study. While many studies on the subject are carried out, we think that it is necessary to emphasize wider qualitative studies in terms of more detailed processing of the subject.