The influence of patient participation on satisfaction and compliance.

This investigation tested how patients' participation in the medical visit is related to their satisfaction and subsequent adherence. Thirty random samples of audiotaped dialogue were used to construct estimates of patient participation during the history, examination, and concluding segment of initial medical visits of 45 older male Veterans Administration patients. The data demonstrate that patients who offer information as well as answer physician questions are significantly more likely to comply with recommendations for new medication. The frequency with which patients interrupt physicians positively correlates with patient satisfaction, and the frequency with which physicians interrupt patients negatively correlates with patient satisfaction. The paper analyzes various examples of patient participation in visits with nationally recognized diabetes educators, and discusses an agenda for further research in the area.