Keshishian Flora, Colodny Nancy, Boone R Thomas
Department of Speech, Communication Sciences, & Theatre, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
Patient Educ Couns. 2008 May;71(2):265-84. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2008.01.004. Epub 2008 Mar 4.
Earlier research examined the perceptions of the pharmacist-patient relationship quality using data from a systematic random sample of non-institutionalized elderly in the United States. The purposes of this study were to determine: (1) how the findings of this study, conducted in a culturally diverse urban area in Queens, New York, compare with the earlier study; (2) how community-dwelling elderly patients in a metropolitan area perceive their relationship with the pharmacist compared to the physician; and (3) the extent to which their perceived relationship quality predicts medication-related knowledge, medication-related outcomes, and self-efficacy for medication management.
One hundred and twenty-one elderly individuals aged 65 and over who took at least one prescription medication, selected from three senior centers, participated in the study. Of the total responses, 102 were useable.
Our sample demonstrated significantly lower levels of perceived quality of relationship with their pharmacist compared to earlier research. In contrast, the participants in this study perceived a better quality of relationship with their physicians than pharmacists. Further, the quality of relationship with physician predicted medication-related knowledge, medication-related outcome expectations, and self-efficacy for medication management.
The findings of this study suggest that pharmacists still have a way to go to fully meet patients' healthcare needs, particularly in culturally diverse urban settings.
Further research is needed to examine ways to improve pharmacist-patient interactions and, therefore, patients' perceptions of pharmacists.
早期研究使用来自美国非机构化老年人系统随机样本的数据，考察了药剂师与患者关系质量的认知情况。本研究的目的是确定：（1）在纽约皇后区一个文化多元的城市地区进行的这项研究结果与早期研究相比如何；（2）与医生相比，大都市地区社区居住的老年患者如何看待他们与药剂师的关系；（3）他们感知到的关系质量在多大程度上预测与药物相关的知识、与药物相关的结果以及药物管理的自我效能感。
从三个老年中心选取了121名65岁及以上且至少服用一种处方药的老年人参与研究。在所有回复中，102份可用。
与早期研究相比，我们的样本显示出与药剂师关系的感知质量水平显著较低。相比之下，本研究中的参与者认为与医生的关系质量比与药剂师的更好。此外，与医生的关系质量预测了与药物相关的知识、与药物相关的结果期望以及药物管理的自我效能感。
本研究结果表明，药剂师要充分满足患者的医疗保健需求仍有很长的路要走，尤其是在文化多元的城市环境中。
需要进一步研究以探讨改善药剂师与患者互动的方法，从而提高患者对药剂师的认知。
