Physicians’ interpersonal relationships and professional standing seen through the eyes of the general public in Croatia

Figures & data

Table 1 Distribution of answers among study participants

Questions and answers	Number (%)
1. What is your experience of collaboration among Croatian physicians?
None	72 (7.8)
Poor	95 (10.3)
Average	284 (30.6)
Good	397 (42.8)
Excellent	79 (8.5)
2. In your opinion, please rate the importance of collaboration and communication among physicians for an efficient and adequate provision of health care
Not at all	3 (0.4)
Not important	6 (0.6)
Neither yes nor no	45 (4.9)
Important	373 (40.2)
Very important	500 (53.9)
3. Do you think that physicians put their own interest in front of their patients’ health?
Never	101 (10.9)
No in most cases	350 (37.7)
Sometimes yes, sometimes no	313 (33.7)
Yes in most cases	131 (14.1)
Yes, always	35 (3.7)
4. Have you ever participated in or witnessed bribery and corruption in the health care system?
Yes	147 (15.8)
No	781 (84.2)
5. Have you had to use some personal connections to be treated adequately?
Yes	255 (27.5)
No	673 (72.5)
6. In your opinion, are physicians adequately paid for their work?
Yes	438 (47.2)
No*	490 (52.8)
Overpaid	70 (14.4)
Underpaid	420 (85.6)
7. Do physicians do their work conscientiously and responsibly?
Not at all	4 (0.4)
Mostly no	52 (5.6)
Sometimes yes, sometimes no	338 (36.4)
Yes, in most of cases	422 (45.4)
Yes, always	112 (12.1)
8. Have you ever experienced physicians commenting on their fellow colleagues’ work?
Yes*	151 (16.2)
No	777 (83.8)
What was the content of the comments?
Criticism	85 (56.2)
Vilification	14 (9.6)
Positive critics	35 (23.3)
Praise	14 (9.0)
Something else	3 (2.0)
9. Have you ever witnessed a conflict between physicians?
Yes*	39 (4.2)
No	889 (95.8)
What kind of conflict was it?
Verbal conflict of a private nature	12 (31.6)
Verbal conflict of a professional nature	23 (57.2)
Sexual discrimination	1 (3.1)
Vilification or humiliation	3 (8.1)
10. Have you ever witnessed a physician being a victim of unprofessional or unethical behavior by their fellow colleague?
Yes*	28 (3.0)
No	900 (97.0)
This behavior consisted of
Vilification and humiliation	8 (28.1)
Inappropriate jokes	14 (49.3)
Discrimination	3 (9.6)
Intimidation	3 (9.7)

Note:

* Elaborated in following subquestion.

Table 2 Distribution of answers by sex, age, income level, and level of education

Questions and answers	Sex			Age					Education			Income, Kuna per month
	Male		Female	≤35	36–50		51–65	>65	Elementary school	High school	College and higher	<3,000		>3,000
1. Have you ever participated or witnessed bribery and corruption in the health care system?
Yes	15.8		15.8	10.0	18.9		13.5	23.8	18.7	13.0	19.2	17.4		15.7
No	84.2		84.2	90.0	81.1		86.5	76.2	81.3	87.0	80.8	82.6		84.3
Chi-square		0.001				17.889				6.032			0.410
df		1				3				2			1
P		0.979				<0.001				0.095			0.522
2. Have you had to use some personal connections to be treated adequately?
Yes	26.0		28.8	24.2	30.3		25.3	31.1	25.2	27.1	34.9	26.1		28.9
No	74.0		71.2	75.7	69.7		74.7	68.9	74.8	72.9	65.1	73.9		71.1
Chi-square		0.828				3.985				4.094			0.725
df		1				3				2			1
P		0.363				0.263				0.129			0.394
3. In your opinion, are physicians adequately paid for their work?
Yes	40.1		53.7	54.4	44.9		43.3	44.1	41.0	54.0	37.3	47.9		44.9
No	59.9		46.3	45.6	55.1		56.8	55.9	59.0	46.0	62.7	52.1		55.1
Chi-square		17.397				8.332				18.910			0.776
df		1			3				2			1
P		<0.001				0.040				<0.001			0.378
4. Have you ever experienced physicians commenting on their fellow colleagues’ work?
Yes	16.1		16.3	17.5	16.9		15.8	13.9	14.6	14.0	24.7	15.1		21.8
No	83.9		83.7	82.5	83.1		84.2	85.1	85.4	86.0	75.3	84.9		78.2
Chi-square		0.11				0.991				18.661			5.814
df		1				3				2			1
P		0.916				0.803				<0.001			0.016
5. Have you ever witnessed a conflict between physicians?
Yes	4.6		3.9	6.5	7.2		0.6	1.0	0.0	5.5	10.7	2.4		7.9
No	95.4		96.1	93.5	92.8		99.4	99.0	100.0	94.5	89.3	97.6		92.1
Chi-square		0.244				20.822				29.182			13.342
df		1				3				2			1
P		0.621				<0.001				0.001			<0.001
6. Have you ever witnessed a physician being a victim of unprofessional or unethical behavior by their fellow colleague?
Yes	4.6		1.5	2.7	7.3		0.6	0.2	2.0	2.4	8.3	0.4		7.6
No	95.4		98.5	97.3	92.7		99.4	99.8	98.0	97.6	91.7	99.6		92.4
Chi-square		7.897				25.682				14.156			30.262
df		1				3				2			1
P		0.005				<0.001				0.001			<0.001

Table 3 Distribution of answers by sex, age, personal income level, and level of education

Questions and answers	Sex			Age					Education			Income, Kuna per month
	Male		Female	≤35	36–50		51–65	>65	Elementary school	High school	College and higher	<3,000		>3,000
1. What is your experience of collaboration among Croatian physicians?
Mean value	3.40		3.29	3.31	3.24		3.29	3.60	3.37	3.34	3.27	3.29		3.41
Standard deviation	1.06		1.01	0.96	0.98		1.11	1.10	1.18	0.95	0.97	1.15		0.91
Independent t-test		1.58											−1.52
F						4.716				0.404
df		926.25				(3,924)				(2,925)			304.0
P		0.979				0.003				0.668			0.130
2. In your opinion, please rate the importance of collaboration and communication among physicians for an efficient and adequate provision of health care?
Mean value	4.45		4.48	4.42	4.50		4.50	4.45	4.40	4.49	4.58	4.45		4.47
Standard deviation	0.70		0.61	0.75	0.60		0.65	0.58	0.69	0.64	0.59	0.63		0.70
Independent t-test		−0.68											−0.35
F						0.973				3.955
df		926.25				(3,924)				(2,925)			304.0
P		0.496				0.405				0.019			0.730
3. Do you think that physicians put their own interest in front of their patients’ health?
Mean value	2.49		2.74	2.57	2.67		2.63	2.61	2.62	2.64	2.55	2.63		2.54
Standard deviation	0.98		0.97	0.94	0.93		0.99	1.10	1.08	0.90	0.928	1.04		0.91
Independent t-test		−4.02										1.28
F						0.539				0.362
df		926.25				(3,924)				(2,925)			304.0
P		<0.001				0.656				0.626			0.201
4. Do physicians do their work conscientiously and responsibly?
Mean value	3.67		3.60	3.64	3.51		3.60	3.83	3.64	3.63	3.62	3.62		3.64
Standard deviation	0.82		0.75	0.76	0.74		0.78	0.84	0.87	0.72	0.76	0.83		0.72
Independent t-test		1.49												−0.34
F						5.933				0.027
df		926.25				(3,924)				(2,925)			304.0
P		0.135				0.001				0.974			0.719

Notes: Mean values on ordinal scales range from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 5, expressing the level of agreeing with the statement; higher values express a higher agreement rate.