Patient Respect and Satisfaction in the Oncology Setting

Abstract

The current study assessed how patients’ respect for and perceived respect from their oncologist and health care team were related to their satisfaction with the oncologist and team. A second objective was to adapt measures developed for social sciences research to a medical setting. Some 81 oncology patients completed a questionnaire containing demographics and six brief measures of patients’ attitudes and perceptions of respect and satisfaction. Patients’ respect for their oncologist was related strongly to both their perceptions of how they were respected by their oncologist and their satisfaction with the oncologist. Correlations for the health care team were similar. Respectful behaviors toward patients are important in creating a comprehensive community of care for oncology patients and loved ones.

KEYWORDS:

• respect
• oncologist
• patient satisfaction

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susan S. Hendrick

Susan S. Hendrick is Paul Whitfield Horn professor of psychology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and director of counseling services at the Southwest Cancer Center. Her research interests include close relationships and their impact in health care settings.

K. Rachelle Smith-Genthôs

K. Rachelle Smith-Genthôs earned her PhD in Social Psychology from Texas Tech University. Her research interests include automatic processes in interpersonal interaction such as non-conscious behavioral mimicry, facial expressions, and the intra- and interpersonal effects of rapport.

Clyde Hendrick

Clyde Hendrick is Paul Whitfield Horn professor of psychology at Texas Tech University and associate director of the Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism. His research interests include close relationships, cosmology, and the philosophy of Charles S. Peirce.

Everardo Cobos

Everardo Cobos is chief of oncology/hematology and hematology/oncology fellowship director in the Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University School of Medicine. His research interests include immunotherapy in oncology and physician-patient relationships.