Toward a Better Understanding of the Delivery of Primary Care: The Patient, the Provider, and Their Interaction
In: Human relations: towards the integration of the social sciences, Band 35, Heft 5, S. 373-389
ISSN: 1573-9716, 1741-282X
A holistic theoretical model is presented which attempts to integrate various perspectives and findings in order to research questions related to the provision of high-quality, patient-sensitive, primary care. The model is divided into three broad components: the patient world, the provider world, and their interaction. "World" refers to the background, attitudes, and social support systems of each group. Following a detailed description of the paradigm and its underlying rationale, specific methodologies to better understand patient and provider satisfaction, patient compliance, and medical outcome are described. Hypotheses are proposed which are currently under investigation at a university-based municipal hospital. Initial findings and proposed strategies for later investigation are discussed, along with broader, nonmedical implications of this research.