ATTITUDE TO INFORMING THE DOCTOR ABOUT THE TREATMENT PRO-CESS IN DIFFERENT AGE AND SEX GROUPS OF PATIENTS

Abstract

Purpose of the study: to analyze the effect of gender and age of a surgical patient on the intensity of contacts with the attending physician during treatment. Materials and methods. Questionnaire data from 400 patients were used as primary material. The respondents lived in Moscow and at the time of the study were being treated in a hospital in the surgical departments. Four age groups were formed for men and women (18–29 years old, 30–44 years old, 45–59 years old, 60 years and older). Results. The desire to maintain contact with the attending physician during the treatment process was expressed by the majority of men and women, but only a part of them did this on a regular basis (38 and 35 out of 100 men and women surveyed, respectively). The majority clarifies the information received from the doctor, however, men and women of the older age group (60 years and older) are the least likely to clarify information from the doctor (45 and 57 out of 100 men and women surveyed, respectively). Women are more likely than men to bring information about the course of treatment to the doctor (33 versus 26 out of 100 women and men surveyed, respectively). The least disciplined male patients are in the oldest age group. Among women, the proportion of those who do not inform the doctor increases with age. Half of surgical patients can stop treatment on their own. The smallest proportion of patients who can stop treatment without informing the doctor about it among men is observed in the youngest age group (18–29 years) (21 out of 100 respondents). In the middle and older age groups, the proportion increases to 30 out of 100 respondents in the age group of 60 years and older.