Some patients prefer the traditional "paternalistic" style doctor

Some don't prefer 'patient-centered' care

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Some patients prefer the traditional "paternalistic" style doctor and not the more in vogue "patient-centered" healthcare approach, a U.S. study suggests.

A University of Iowa study suggests that some patients are significantly less likely to follow doctors' orders and feel satisfied with their care when physicians take the patient-centered approach.

The patient-centered approach involves educating patients about their conditions, encouraging questions and collaboration, discussing how the condition affects the patient emotionally and involving patients in treatment decisions.

But some patients, especially older patients, prefer a doctor with a more traditional "doctor-centered" style - someone who spends less time explaining a condition and seeks little patient input.

Study leader Alan Christense questioned primary care physicians and 146 of their established patients about their attitudes toward patients' and providers' roles in healthcare.

Patients who experience a mismatch between their own expectations and preferences from the medical provider and what actually transpires are less likely to follow treatment recommendations because their expectations weren't met, reported the study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.