Multivariate analysis of influencing factors of inpatients′ perception of doctor-patient relationship

Objective To understand the current situation of inpatients′ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship and its influencing factors, and to make policy recommendations for further targeted healthcare improvement. Methods Based on the survey results of the third party evaluation of the National Healthcare Improvement Initiative in 136 public tertiary hospitals, we analyzed the inpatients′ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship. SPSS 22.0 software was used to conduct Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn-Bonferroni test, and SAS 9.4 was used to conduct multivariate logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors of inpatients′ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship. Results The mean perception score of the inpatients pertaining to doctor-patient relationship was 4.34±0.84, and the median was 5.00. The perception score of the male inpatients pertaining to doctor-patient relationship was significantly higher than that of the female respondents (P<0.05), that of the inpatients who had fixed physicians or general practitioners before visiting was higher than that of the inpatients who did not have(P<0.05). The overall satisfaction of inpatients during hospitalization (P<0.01, OR=2.73) and doctors′ satisfaction to have enough communication time with patients (P<0.01, OR=1.84) were the most significant protection factors to inpatients′ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship. The process and structure evaluation results of hospitals in harmonization of doctor-patient relationship was a significant risk factor. Inpatients who had fixed physicians or general practitioners before visiting (P<0.01, OR=1.31) was another statistically significant positive influencing factor of inpatients′ perceptions of doctor-patient relationship. Conclusions It is imperative to strengthen communications between doctors and patients and to improve healthcare service, in order to raise patients′ satisfactions for a harmonized doctor-patient relationship.In addition to establish a working mechanism for medical disputes as a post-incident strategy, hospitals are recommended to take proactive and preventive measures.In addition, measures like integration of family doctor system and medical alliance system, as well as encouraging patients to contract their family doctors will help to harmonize the doctor-patient relationship. Key words: Inpatients; Doctor-patient relationship; Cognition; Influencing factors; Regression analysis