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As many physicians know, some patients show up at appointments determined to obtain a certain medication or undergo a specific treatment plan—regardless of their care provider’s professional opinion. Almost 64 percent of the physicians we surveyed report they’ve been pressured by a patient based on that patient’s wants rather than needs. Another 36 percent have actually altered their treatment plan based on a patient’s wishes to avoid a receiving a poor rating.
As for patients, 64 percent admit they’ve requested a specific treatment plan that diverged from their doctor’s recommendation. Around 1 in 5 report they’ve asked for a certain medication or plan that they didn’t require in the end, and around 3 in 10 think physicians should alter prescriptions and plans based on patients’ wishes.
How does this play into patient ratings? The majority of our physician respondents—nearly 7 in 10—believe the focus on patient satisfaction can cause problems. For instance, physicians may feel pressure to over-prescribe controlled substances in order to placate patients and earn good ratings.
See next report: Trust Between Patients and Physicians
