Patients' Commitment to Their Primary Physician and Why It Matters

• DOI: 10.1370/afm.757
• Publication Date: 2008-01-14T17:18:29Z
• Authors: L. L. Berry; J. T. Parish; R. Janakiraman; L. Ogburn-Russell; G. R. Couchman; W. L. Rayburn; J. Grisel
• Keywords: Male; Physician-Patient Relations; Health Behavior; 05 social sciences; Physicians, Family; Feeding Behavior; Continuity of Patient Care; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Trust; Diet; 3. Good health; Surveys and Questionnaires; 0502 economics and business; Group Practice; Humans; Female; Attitude to Health

The patient-physician relationship is the cornerstone of health care service delivery. The objectives of this study were to assess the contribution of relationship commitment along with trust to patient-physician relationships and to evaluate the association of commitment and trust with adherence to medical advice and healthy eating behaviors.To test the proposed model, we developed a questionnaire that included both existing scales and a scale constructed specifically for the study; the questions addressed trust, commitment, adherence to physicians' medical recommendations, and healthy eating behavior. The questionnaire was given to adult patients in the waiting rooms of 4 large clinics in central Texas.A total of 1,008 patients returned questionnaires; 869 patients' questionnaires were complete and used in the analysis. A 3-stage least squares analysis that tested a system of 4 equations which included relationship commitment yielded a systemwide R(2) of 0.71 that was 0.09 higher than a system of equations excluding relationship commitment. Trust and commitment were positively associated with adherence (P <.001 and P = .02, respectively). We also found positive relationships between adherence and commitment and between trust and commitment (P <.001 for each). Adherence and commitment were both associated with healthy eating behavior as well (P <.001 for each).Patients' trust in their physician and commitment to the relationship offer a more complete understanding of the patient-physician relationship. In addition, trust and commitment favorably influence patients' health behaviors.