Survey of doctors' perception of professional values.

Nadia Minicuci,Fabrizio Cardin,Amy Michelle Debaets,Peter Lloyd-Sherlock,Giampiero Avruscio,Cinzia Giorato,Ilaria Rocco

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0244303

Abstract

BackgroundNew challenges in the medical field of the third millennium emphasise the "humanization of medicine" leading to a redefinition of doctors’ values, limits and roles. The study aims to assess whether there are different personality dimensions of physicians in relation to their perception of professional values and public expectations.MethodsA questionnaire on the perception of professional values and the opinion on work in the medical field, work relationships and public expectations was administered to 374 doctors attending Continuing Medical Education courses.ResultsTwo personality dimensions were identified: the first dimension (which we termed "Performance Attainment") is associated preeminently with values of competence, advocacy, confidentiality, spirit of enquiry, integrity, responsibility and commitment; the second dimension (which we called “Personal Involvement”) focuses on concern and compassion. The doctors that have more difficulty accepting judgements on their activity are those who think that “Performance attainment” is less important (β = 6.01; p-value = 0.007). Instead, the doctors who believe “public expectation of the health system” is not high enough, tend to think that “Performance Attainment” is more important (β = -6.08; p-value = 0.024). The less importance is given to the values of "Personal Involvement", the less is the doctor’s perception of having a leading role in respect to other health professionals (β = -2.37; p-value = 0.018).ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that there are two different attitudes in terms of recognition and selection of the essential values to better practice the medical profession. Whether the doctors attach more importance to one dimension or the other, they do not differ in our analysis for how they answered the questions about relationships with patients, colleagues or family commitments in the questionnaire, even if they work in different areas. This suggests that in our research there is no single personal attitude that characterizes “a good doctor”.

Highlights

A questionnaire on the perception of professional values and the opinion on work in the medical field, work relationships and public expectations was administered to 374 doctors attending Continuing Medical Education courses
Our results demonstrate that there are two different attitudes in terms of recognition and selection of the essential values to better practice the medical profession
Survey of doctors’ perception of professional values commitments in the questionnaire, even if they work in different areas

Summary

Introduction

There is much research on how medical professionalism can be adjusted to healthcare and social structural changes that require doctors of the 21st century to modify their behaviour. The difficulty for doctors to live up to patients’ expectations of their role reflects the challenges posed by a new emphasis on the "humanization of medicine" [1] and on the figure of the "good doctor” [2]. These matters can take the forms of a dualism between doctors’ technical expertise and expectations that they empathize with the suffering of patients (Technicism vs Humanism) [3]. New challenges in the medical field of the third millennium emphasise the "humanization of medicine" leading to a redefinition of doctors’ values, limits and roles. The study aims to assess whether there are different personality dimensions of physicians in relation to their perception of professional values and public expectations

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion