About two-thirds of patients worldwide are dissatisfied with their doctors, according to two recent studies from data analytics software developer SSI and market research firm The Research Intelligence Group.

Patients' nonclinical complaints from around the globe fell into three main categories:

• Poor communication. Globally, about a quarter of patients reported that physicians don't answer questions, don't involve them in treatment decisions, and use medical terms with no explanation. Forty-six percent of respondents said that they would be more satisfied if physicians would explain the treatment process and possible side effects in more detail. For example, in China, where doctor-patient relationships appear particularly shaky, 72 percent of respondents want more detailed explanations of medical issues.
• Limited time with doctors. Patients' dissatisfaction with physician communication appears to be a direct outcome of doctors not spending enough time with patients (44 percent), according to researchers.  "Patients in China (55 percent) and Germany (51 percent) are particularly displeased with the limited time they get from their doctors, the report noted," SSI stated.
• Long waits. About a third of patients worldwide think doctors show disrespect by not being punctual for appointments; long wait times (26 percent) rank as the top reason patients wouldn't recommend their doctors to others. Patients in Australia (55 percent), France (48 percent), and the United States (46 percent) are especially bothered by physicians' lack of punctuality.

"Clearly, people are not experiencing the level of service and respect they see in other arenas in their doctors' offices," said Chris DeAngelis, SSI's vice president of strategic initiatives, in a statement. "When we look across 23 countries, we see that only 3 in 10 patients rate the care they receive from their doctors as excellent--and less than half would recommend their physicians."

To learn more:
- read the press release
- see this article from CMIO

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