Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate if physician gender has and influence on the satisfaction of the patients. The method used was surveys to patients immediately coming out of their doctor appointment. The participants were chosen out of convince from patients that would leave from my mentorship. The study’s results proved that gender does not have much influence on patients satisfaction. In conclusion patient satisfaction is influenced more by the personality of the physician and if the goal of the patient is met. To exemplify this Michael J. Fox proclaimed ,”you’ve probably read in People that I'm a nice guy - but when the doctor first told me I had Parkinson's, I wanted to kill him.”
Introduction: What do we really know about patient satisfaction? The goal of the doctor's is mainly to make sure their patient will be fine and satisfy their needs as long as its reasonable and ethical. As the Working Party of the Royal College of Physicians made clear, "medicine bridges the gap between science and society. Indeed, the application of scientific knowledge to human health is a crucial aspect of clinical practice. Doctors are one important agent through which that scientific understanding is expressed. But medicine is more than the sum of our knowledge about disease. Medicine concerns the experiences, feelings, and interpretations of human beings in often extraordinary moments of fear, anxiety, and doubt. In this extremely vulnerable position, it is medical professionalism that underpins the trust the public has in doctors." Thus, if the role of doctors in society is essential to provide that linkage between science and society, all doctors must achieve a very high patient satisfaction to complete the linkage successfully. Over the years most studies have contradicted their results revealing the true ways to improve patient satisfaction. The topic of patient satisfaction is truly one of the most incomprehensible, for the mere reason of plethora of contradicting results.
I attempted to add another study to rather demystifying the topic of patient satisfaction. Two studies were used as reference and support. They were NOT used as replicating studies.
Bartels and Carnes and 2008 conducted a study which investigated the effects of gender and year of training on residents' experiences and perceived ability to direct patient care. This was a mixed-method; cross-sectional, descriptive study employing a quantitative written survey and qualitative interviews among internal medicine residents at an academic health center. Measurements included questionnaires and interviews about stress, assertiveness, and personal factors that influence their effectiveness in directing patient care. Analyses examined differences by gender and year of training. To exemplify this study resembles my study I will use quotes that say ” when compared with male peers, female residents reported more gender issues in residency and chose less assertive behaviors in clinical scenarios, and experience mitigated some gender differences. Our findings suggest that discussion of the existing research on prescriptive gender norms for behavior and leadership may be warranted in resident orientation.” Basically I will quote their method and their results in order to support my study as much as possible. The study was done in 2008 which makes the study generalizable to the results that I might get. Both genders of medical residents were used. Their method was very appropriate for the type of study they conducted. The study will be used to generalize my findings at the end of my project. Furthermore, it will serve as a method replica. Although the study doesn’t have the same aim as my study it is so similar that it is easily used as an example of further research that my study could stimulate.
Furthermore, the article done by Taylor & Lipsky (1994) was used in my study because of the experiment aim. The quotes used were basically their results. They proclaimed in their abstract, “24% concluded that the reclassification of antifungal agents was positive change for their female patients.” This quote would be used to support my results if in case my results lean that way. Moreover, I will probably include the results that they declared, “19% [of the participants] believed it was negative change.” Furthermore, they go on to support the same conclusion of, “On a positive note, the physicians in favor of the OTC preparations believed their patients were getting faster and more economical care and were in “control of their health care”.” I would definitely have to use this quote exactly like Mr. Taylor & Lipsky declared, because of replication of their experiment in my study. Thus, this point also applies to the quotes of the results. These three quotes are the only ones I will include because I am most likely not going to use the methods they used, but only the results.
Both studies will be mentioned in the conclusion tab to either support or contradict my experiment.
HI: Due to physician gender the patient satisfaction rating will be higher for one particular gender.
Ho: Due to physician gender the patient satisfaction rating will not be higher or lower for one particular gender.
I attempted to add another study to rather demystifying the topic of patient satisfaction. Two studies were used as reference and support. They were NOT used as replicating studies.
Bartels and Carnes and 2008 conducted a study which investigated the effects of gender and year of training on residents' experiences and perceived ability to direct patient care. This was a mixed-method; cross-sectional, descriptive study employing a quantitative written survey and qualitative interviews among internal medicine residents at an academic health center. Measurements included questionnaires and interviews about stress, assertiveness, and personal factors that influence their effectiveness in directing patient care. Analyses examined differences by gender and year of training. To exemplify this study resembles my study I will use quotes that say ” when compared with male peers, female residents reported more gender issues in residency and chose less assertive behaviors in clinical scenarios, and experience mitigated some gender differences. Our findings suggest that discussion of the existing research on prescriptive gender norms for behavior and leadership may be warranted in resident orientation.” Basically I will quote their method and their results in order to support my study as much as possible. The study was done in 2008 which makes the study generalizable to the results that I might get. Both genders of medical residents were used. Their method was very appropriate for the type of study they conducted. The study will be used to generalize my findings at the end of my project. Furthermore, it will serve as a method replica. Although the study doesn’t have the same aim as my study it is so similar that it is easily used as an example of further research that my study could stimulate.
Furthermore, the article done by Taylor & Lipsky (1994) was used in my study because of the experiment aim. The quotes used were basically their results. They proclaimed in their abstract, “24% concluded that the reclassification of antifungal agents was positive change for their female patients.” This quote would be used to support my results if in case my results lean that way. Moreover, I will probably include the results that they declared, “19% [of the participants] believed it was negative change.” Furthermore, they go on to support the same conclusion of, “On a positive note, the physicians in favor of the OTC preparations believed their patients were getting faster and more economical care and were in “control of their health care”.” I would definitely have to use this quote exactly like Mr. Taylor & Lipsky declared, because of replication of their experiment in my study. Thus, this point also applies to the quotes of the results. These three quotes are the only ones I will include because I am most likely not going to use the methods they used, but only the results.
Both studies will be mentioned in the conclusion tab to either support or contradict my experiment.
HI: Due to physician gender the patient satisfaction rating will be higher for one particular gender.
Ho: Due to physician gender the patient satisfaction rating will not be higher or lower for one particular gender.
Design: The experimental design of this experiment was independent samples. The specific design of the independent samples was used rather that repeated measure because if repeated measures were used, then it is possible that the participant will not try to guess the aim of the experiment causing to skew the results. The dependent variable is the rating by the participant in a scale of 1-10. The independent variable is whether they got a female physician or a male physician. The ethical considerations of this experiment were to keep the data and participants' information confidential, debrief the participants after the experiment was completed, and to eliminate harm. However, deception was required to prevent the participants from the aim of the study in order to prevent skewing the results.
Participants:
The target population was from all ranges, because it was important to include all types of generations in the survey. There were 30 participants in the study, 18 participants encountered a male physician, and 12 female. The participants were chosen at connivence from different practices around the city. The participants were from various nationalities. Each participant received the survey from different people apart from the experimentar to keep their information confidential and objective from experimenter biased.
The target population was from all ranges, because it was important to include all types of generations in the survey. There were 30 participants in the study, 18 participants encountered a male physician, and 12 female. The participants were chosen at connivence from different practices around the city. The participants were from various nationalities. Each participant received the survey from different people apart from the experimentar to keep their information confidential and objective from experimenter biased.
Material:
- 30 surveys : "Circle the level of satisfaction that you feel regarding the Doctor you encountered. 1 being horrible and 10 being perfect" including numbers 1-10
sample_of_survey__sheet.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Procedures: The experimenter will first debrief the participant and explain what to do in the survey, which is made clear on the survey sheet. However, the experimenter must tell the participant that the survey is just to see what the facility needs to work on. The participant will be then be left alone for the time they take to fill out the participant. The participant must then put a M for male or a F for female to indicate what gender of their doctor they encountered in their last visit .
Resources: During the past school year I have been participated in a mentorship in a clinic in my city. The mentorship was a big influence to this experiment, because the experience I acquired helped me develop the entire experiment. Furthermore, some of the participants were from the same facility . I documented various experiences that I encountered in my mentorship in my blog.
- http://lezlo.wordpress.com/