Young Adult Perceptions of Patient-Provider Interactions in Primary Care

Abstract

The patient-provider relationship may significantly impact a variety of health-related factors, ranging from the experience of chronic pain. (Jonsdottir, Oskarsson, & Jonsdottir, 2016) to overall healthcare outcomes (Beach, Keruly, & Moore, 2006). Patient demographics and previous medical history can influence patient perceptions of providers (Marchland, Palis, & Oviedo-Jones, 2016; Dennison et al., 2019), with previous studies exploring differences in the patient experience as a function of race, ethnicity, gender, location, socioeconomic status, and experience of chronic pain. However, few studies have assessed the interaction of multiple demographic and medical factors with patient perceptions of their interactions with providers. This study evaluated whether young adult patients’ demographic, medical, and gender-related factors were associated with perceptions of their most recent Primary Care Provider (PCP) interaction. Participants were surveyed regarding their medical history, experience of chronic pain, patient trust in physicians, patient-provider depth of relationship, quality of interactions with their PCP, and view the overall healthcare experience. Results indicate that women and participants with chronic pain disorders, mental health disorders, and sexual health disorders reported lower levels of satisfaction with interactions with providers. Moreover, inconsistency between quantitative ratings of recent PCP relationship quality and open-ended qualitative responses indicate a potential lingering effect of prior poor provider interactions on participants’ perceptions of health care providers.