Three-quarters of hospitalized patients are not able to name a single physician assigned to their care, according to a new survey published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Three-quarters of hospitalized patients are not able to name a single physician assigned to their care, according to a new survey published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine .

Researchers from the University of Chicago interviewed 2,807 patients who were hospitalized at their university hospital over a 15-month period. These patients were asked to identify the names and roles of the doctors on the medical teams taking care of them. Nearly 75% of the patients could not name any of their doctors. And, of the 25% who were able to give a name, only 40% were actually correct. Interestingly, the patients who were able to name at least one of their doctors were also more likely to be dissatisfied with their care.

In the hospital, medical teams often consist of attending physicians, residents in training, and medical students, and specific roles might be difficult for a patient to identify. Frequent shift changes and the bustling nature of a hospital also make it easy to lose track of healthcare providers. It is not known, however, whether being familiar with the name of your doctor has any effect on the quality of care received.

Source

Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(2):199-201.