Most Americans feel docs need better bedside manners: Survey

Washington, April 25 : A new survey has found that 80 percent of Americans feel that their doctors need better bedside manners.

The survey, conducted by Kelton Research for the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, unveiled that less than half of survey respondents could describe their doctor's recent conduct as attentive, communicative, or compassionate at their last medical visit.

"Many past studies have shown a strong correlation between patient and doctor satisfaction and better overall patient outcomes when doctors develop a relationship with their patients," said Arnold P. Gold, MD, founder of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

"What this survey shows us is that patients are still craving for their physician to see the 'person' behind the prognosis and really want a 'connectedness' with their doctor," he added.

Dedicated to keeping the care in healthcare, the Foundation sponsored the online survey of 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 to garner patient perceptions about their physicians' commitment to providing compassionate care.

Respondents of the survey indicate that along with the need for better beside manner, less than half of the doctors visited have displayed an interest in their overall well-being as a person rather than the specific ailment at hand.

Besides this, many Americans report that their dissatisfaction with doctors is due to an experience of disconnection, such as the doctor making them feel rushed, not providing enough opportunity to discuss their concerns and questions, or even being outright rude or condescending.

ANI