International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) |Volume VIII, Issue I, January 2023|ISSN 2454-6194
Olayide T. Ezekiel1, * Desmond B. Bisandu2, Angyu J. Tsoukan3
1Department of Information Systems, School of Information Technology and Computing, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria
2Department of Computer Science, University of Jos, Nigeria
3ICT Directorate, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
*Corresponding authors
Abstract: The extent and types of communication during the consultation and the nature of the doctor-patient relationship are all significantly influenced by the Doctor’s clinical practice style.At the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Yola, Nigeria, a study on the doctor-patient relationship was conducted to determine how beliefs, attitudes, religion, and orientations affect the relationship between expectant women and obstetrics and Gynecologist. Pregnant women between 18 and 50 and older made up the study population, which was conducted using an empirical method (quantitative and qualitative). Data was acquired from administered questionnaires that examined how patients and clinicians perceived one another. Individual interviews and personal observations were also conducted. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during anti-natal days and other days for individuals with women-related concerns, an average of 40 interviewers were conducted; this was done in 3 weeks. The average age of the participating doctors was 36 years old (standard deviation: 0.828), with 80% being men and just 20% being women. They had been practicing for an average of 10 years. Eighty percent of the doctors were oriented on providing care on them. About 40% of medical professionals occasionally lack time to discuss patients’ opinions and issues. Most individuals who were either doctors or patients (46.7% and 43.3%, respectively) thought that communication barriers harmed their interactions. Nearly 46.7% and 45.6% of doctors and patients disagreed that religion and cultural humility impact doctor-patient relationships. It was once again discovered to be difficult among the doctors and patients surveyed that the patient prefers self-medication, with roughly 53.3% and 32.3% agreeing. According to the findings of this study, the doctor-patient interaction at the federal medical center in Yola, Nigeria, is significantly impacted by communication barriers.
Keywords: Communication barrier, doctor-patient relationship, orientation, FMC Yola doctors
I. Introduction
According to WHO, everyday, approximately 810 maternal and 7000 neonatal deaths take place globally (WHO,2019), and Nigeria has one of the highest maternal death rates (576/100,000 live births) in the world (National Population Commission (NPC), 2014; Etokidem et al., 2022). In an attempt to reduce or eradicate this global maternal modality rate, the third Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.1 calls for reducing the global maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, while Target 3.2 calls for putting an end to newborn deaths that can be prevented and bringing down neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1,000 live births (WHO, 2019). However, the doctor-patient relationship is crucial to the practice of medicine and the provision of high-quality healthcare for diagnosing and treating various disorders (Babitsch et al.,2008; Deng et al.,2021). One of the foundational principles of current medical ethics is formed by this interaction, or more precisely, by the communication between the two parties (Asamu and Matthias, 2015; Drossman et al., 2021). To control their unconventionality, Talcott Parson, the first social scientist to theorise this relationship, believed that doctors’ roles should include symbolising and communicating (information about illness), with patients and doctors being shielded by emotional distance (Hughes, 1994; Trevio, and Staubmann, 2021). The author’s interactions with doctors, expectant patients, and some doctor friends served as the basis for this effort. Before being assigned to hospitals, most medical schools teach their students how to maintain a professional connection with patients, respect their privacy, and uphold their dignity (Beltran-Aroca et al.,2021). Compared to other medical specialisations like pathology or radiology, some medical specialities, including psychology and psychiatry, place more emphasis on the doctor-patient interaction (Geraghty and Blease, 2019). The book “The Doctor, His Patient, and the Illness” was published after Michael and Enid Balint instigated a study of the doctor-patient interaction in the United Kingdom (Balint, 1957; Perera, S., 2021). The doctor-patient connection typically has a small but statistically significant impact on the course of treatment outcomes (Kelly et al., 2014, Wei and Wu 2020). The attitudes, beliefs, and orientations that doctors bring into the system have been linked to how well they manage the doctor-patient interaction (Chan and Azman, 2012, Okonkwo, M.C., 2020).