Citation

Woynarowska-Sołdan M, Tabak I, Doroszewska A. Med. Wieku Rozwoj. 2014; 18(3): 331-342.

Affiliation

Public Health Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical university of Warsaw, ul. Banacha 1A, blok F, 02-097 Warszawa, tel.: 668-128-137, e-mail: m.woynarowska@op.pl.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Instytut Matki i Dziecka)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

25182397

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To analyze research results relating the feelings of adolescents connected with their medical visit and their perception of the physician's behaviour in treating them as patients during the visit. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The research was conducted on a group of 14-15-year-olds (N=716), students of lower secondary schools located in 5 voivodeships. The research instrument was an anonymous authored questionnaire with questions concerning their last visit at the physician's: its time, purpose, and feelings connected with the visit, as well as reasons for these feelings and the variety of the physician's behaviours conducive to good communication with the adolescent patient.

RESULTS: More than half (56%) of the respondents visited the physician within the previous 3 months, 64% because of illness, complaints or injury. The visit was accompanied by a range of different feelings, in most cases indifference (32%) and relief (21%). However, every seventh teenager showed anxiety and fear. The justification of these feelings varied and related to: the physician as a person, the physician's behaviour, the expectations and beliefs of the teenagers, the behaviour of other patients and the functioning of the healthcare system. Most of the teenagers (70-87%) decided that the physician undertook 8 out of the 11 ways of behaving named in the questionnaire as promoting good communication with the patient. Most physicians provided information about results of the study, used understandable words and actively listened to patients. The behaviours undertaken least often were asking encouraging questions and taking interest in the patient as an individual. Every fifth teenager was not examined in a way that showed respect to his/her privacy.

CONCLUSIONS: Most young patients view the physician's behaviour towards them in a positive way. It should be pointed out to physicians how important it is to encourage adolescents to ask questions, treat them as individuals and respect their privacy.

Language: en