Determinants of patients' attitudes toward patient-centered care: a cross-sectional study in Greece.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate - for the first time in Greece - patients' attitudes toward patient-centered care, by identifying the impact of socio-demographic factors, health condition, social support and religious beliefs.

METHODS

454 Hospitalized patients were interviewed on the first day of their scheduled admission, answering demographic questions and the following questionnaires: Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), Autonomy Preference Index (API), Short Form SF-12v2 Health Survey, God Locus of Health Control (GLHC) and Perceived Available Support (PAS).

RESULTS

Mean PPOS and API scores were: PPOS Sharing 3.4 (sd=0.69), Caring 3.99 (sd=0.76), API Information-Seeking 88.32 (sd=9.35) and Decision-Making 51.19 (sd=9.27). Higher desire for information was associated with younger age, more years of education, weaker spiritual faith in healing and worse subjective health status. Higher expectations for caring physicians were correlated with older age, more years of education, higher perceived social support and weaker spiritual faith in healing.

CONCLUSION

Age, years of education, health status, social support and religious beliefs are determinants of patient-centered attitudes.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Patients expect to be informed, although they do not equally want to be involved in decision-making. Religious faith and perceived social support should be taken into consideration to further understand patients' needs.