What happened? GPs' perceptions of consultation outcomes and a comparison with the experiences of their patients.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate GPs' perceptions of consultation outcomes and to investigate the associations between these and outcomes perceived by the patients.

DESIGN

25 GPs and 10 patients for each GP filled in a questionnaire about the outcome of the same consultation. The questions in the questionnaires were formulated from concepts found in preceding qualitative studies. Their answers were analysed and compared.

SETTING

GPs and patients from 16 group practices in Norrbotten, Sweden.

RESULTS

The GPs had the apprehension that their consultations would lead to cure/symptom relief in half of their consultations. They believed that their patients were satisfied up to 90% and that up to 75% had been reassured, understood more or could cope better. The GPs were satisfied themselves with up to 95% of the consultations, they enhanced their relationship to their patient up to 70%. Their affirmative concordance with their patients was high regarding satisfaction, intermediate regarding patient reassurance and patient understanding and lowest regarding cure/symptom relief.

CONCLUSION

The GPs' were lacking in their ability to assess the patients' increased understanding and the concordance between their own and the patients' expectation of cure/symptom relief was low.