[Development of the Physician-patient Relationship in Germany during the Last Years from the Perspective of the Heads of Chambers and KVs]

Abstract

Introduction: In some media the opinion is expressed that the physician-patient relationship has deteriorated in the past few years. In the present study we have analysed the validity of this statement, if it can be differentiated, what the reasons for it may be and in what ways the physician-patient relationship can be improved.

Methods: 8 chairmen or presidents of chambers of medicine or associations of statutory health insurance physicians were comprehensively interviewed; another 3 gave written replies to a questionnaire. All statements were subjected to an analysis of content.

Results: It is not the physician-patient relationship that has changed but rather a whole series of thematic fields, e. g., the image of the medical profession, the role of the physician, the behaviour of the patients, and the general circumstances, etc. The belief in the individual physician-patient -relationship has not changed. For those topics in which changes have occurred, a series of reasons has been mentioned, and numerous -proposals for improvements have been made.

Conclusion: An analysis of "the" physician-patient relationship is not enough, instead a differentiation along the interfaces of the above-mentioned topics should be undertaken. It is recommended that these qualitative results should, as far as possible, be examined quantitatively. In some areas the chambers and the statutory health insurance physician associations could themselves positively influence the physician-patient relationship directly, in other aspects also indirectly.