Determining criteria of a good doctor from the perspective of outpatients and their companions in educational clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

The patient is generally attentive after the disease, and the primary person concerned with the disease is the treating physician. In terms of the patient's urgent need for physician treatment, it is not only his science that helps the patient, but also the general meaning of the physician's ethics plus behavioral characteristics. So that these features are taken more seriously. The characteristics of a good physician are especially important for patients who are not in an emergency situation and treated on an outpatient basis. Since the previous studies were mostly from the viewpoint of medical ethicists and so far no similar studies have been conducted in Tabriz, we decided to identify the characteristics of a good physician from the perspective of patients and outpatients in Tabriz. Materials and Methods: In this exploratory study, after a separate interview with 23 outpatient and their companions, we were asked (what are the criteria of a good physician in your view) after the data were saturated. The receipt, the criteria list was prepared and classified by content analysis and the initial questionnaire was extracted. The questionnaire was completed by reviewing the literature and expert opinion and 23 experts were presented for validity. For reliability, 23 questionnaires were given to patients and their relatives. After confirming the validity and reliability with CVI of 0.92 and CVR of 0.75, the questionnaire was completed by 384 outpatient and their relatives who referred to educational clinics in Tabriz. Results: A number of 384 samples filled a questioner consisted of 11 titles with 43 subtitles. Of 384 samples, 176 (45.8%) were patients and 208 (54.2%) were accompanies. According to the patients, the most important criteria of a good physician were respectively: being experienced, communicating with the patient, patient education, privacy, appropriate treatment, friendliness, respect for patient opinions, professional behavior, respect for patient time, attention to economic status and providing appropriate environmental conditions. And on the other hand, the accompanies respectively mentioned being skilled, appropriate treatment, paying attention to the patient's economic situation, respecting patient time, creating appropriate environmental conditions, altruism, privacy, respect for patient opinions, professional behavior, patient education and patient communication as the most important criteria of a good physician.