Relationship between health providers and patients in Mexico City

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of the relationship between inpatients and health providers. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in the Mexico City, Mexico, between February and July 2005. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 inpatients. The following categories of analysis were used to explore the respondent's perception of care: attitudes and actions of medical and nursing providers, effective communication, level of knowledge of patients and their family on the diagnosis, clinical treatment, and evolution. RESULTS: Overall the level of satisfaction with health care was high. Inpatients perceived everyday (non-clinical) interactions with medical and nursing providers as inadequate due to lack of confidence to request information on their condition. In addition, this perception was reinforced by excessive use by providers of technical terminology. CONCLUSIONS: The routine relationship between health providers and their patients is perceived as inadequate showing that clinical effectiveness does not mean high quality of care. There is a need to bring together technical-scientific efficiency and patients' needs and expectations of non-clinical interactions.