Table 3.
Patient Preferences and Attitudes Regarding General Medical Care
| Preference/Attitude | Strongly Disagree, % 1 | Disagree*, % 2 | Agree*, % 3 | Strongly Agree, % 4 | NP†, % 2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuity | |||||
| I prefer having one doctor take care of my medical problems. | 12 | 22 (34) | 22 (63) | 40 | 3 |
| I prefer my regular doctor handle any new health concerns that come up because she/he already knows my health history. | 1 | 1 (2) | 12 (97) | 85 | 1 |
| I prefer my doctor see me in the emergency room. | 3 | 13 (16) | 38 (77) | 39 | 7 |
| I would rather wait 3–4 d to see my doctor instead of seeing a different doctor immediately. | 5 | 10 (15) | 22 (85) | 63 | 0 |
| I would prefer that my doctor monitor my care in the hospital. | 1 | 4 (5) | 20 (94) | 74 | 1 |
| I am willing to see a nurse practitioner/physician assistant for my regular care. | 30 | 36 (66) | 24 (34) | 10 | 0 |
| At the start of a new problem, I prefer to see a doctor who specializes in that particular problem. | 14 | 25 (39) | 28 (57) | 29 | 4 |
| Choice | |||||
| It is important to me to be able to seek medical care from any type of doctor without a referral. | 5 | 11 (16) | 23 (84) | 61 | 0 |
| I would avoid an insurance plan that will not allow me to choose the regular doctor I want. | 5 | 6 (11) | 18 (89) | 71 | 0 |
| I would avoid an insurance plan that will not allow me to choose the specialist I want. | 6 | 7 (13) | 19 (87) | 68 | 0 |
| If I think I need to see a specialist, I am willing to pay extra out of my own pocket. | 12 | 15 (27) | 34 (73) | 40 | 0 |
| Competency | |||||
| It is important to me that my doctor be trained in the U.S. | 12 | 17 (29) | 27 (69) | 42 | 2 |
| It is very important to me that my doctor receives continued medical education. | 1 | 1 (2) | 7 (98) | 91 | 0 |
| In choosing a regular doctor, it is important to me to review my doctor's credentials. | 6 | 18 (24) | 39 (76) | 37 | 0 |
| I believe my regular doctor is able to take care of the usual problems that people are likely to have. | 1 | 1 (2) | 13 (98) | 85 | 0 |
*
Responses of strongly agree and agree/strongly disagree and disagree are collapsed and shown in parentheses.
†
Respondents offered no preference.