Patients' satisfaction with communication in neurological outpatient clinics
Fitzpatrick RM., Hopkins A.
A study is reported of patients attending neurological outpatient clinics with a primary symptom of headache not due to structural disease. Patients were interviewed shortly after their hospital visit and one year after the referral and their views about communication from the doctor were obtained. Approximately one-quarter of patients expressed serious critical comments on this subject. No socio-demographic variable predicted this negative response. However, two groups of patients with particular needs were found to be significantly more critical. Otherwise concerns about information in the sample were limited. Dissatisfaction with communication was found to be significantly related to subsequent non-compliance. © 1981.