Association of stereotypes about physicians to health care satisfaction, help-seeking behavior, and adherence to treatment

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 58; no. 6; pp. 1049 - 1058
• Main Authors: Bogart, Laura M, Bird, Sheryl Thorburn, Walt, Lisa C, Delahanty, Douglas L, Figler, Jacqueline L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2004; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adherence; Adult; Adults; African Americans - psychology; African-Americans; Anti-Retroviral Agents - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Black White Differences; Client Satisfaction; Decision making; Doctor-patient relationship; Ethnicity; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Female; Health Behavior; Health care; Health care satisfaction; Health Care Utilization; Health professionals; Health services; Help-seeking; Helpseeking; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; Homeless Persons - psychology; Homelessness; Humans; Low Income Groups; Male; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Middle Aged; Midwestern United States; Miscellaneous; Ohio; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - ethnology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Patient Compliance - ethnology; Patient Compliance - psychology; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; Patient Satisfaction - ethnology; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Physician patient relationships; Physician's Role; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians; Poverty; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Satisfaction; Stereotypes; Stereotyping; Treatment adherence; Treatment Compliance; U.S.A; United States of America; USA; USA HIV Treatment adherence Ethnicity Health care satisfaction Help-seeking; West Virginia; Whites; United States; North America; America; Midwestern United States; West Virginia; Ohio; Treatment adherence; USA; Ethnicity; HIV; Health care satisfaction; Help-seeking; Human; Help seeking; Social perception; Attitude; Health staff; Satisfaction; Physician; Stereotype; Ethnic group; Care; Physician patient relation; Treatment; Sociodemographic factor; Treatment compliance; Behavior; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00277-6

The present research consists of three studies examining the role of patients’ stereotypes about health care providers in the health care decision process. Study 1 examined the association of stereotypes to health care satisfaction and help-seeking behavior among a low-income clinic sample; Study 2 examined the relationship of stereotypes to satisfaction and adherence to treatment among low-income individuals living with HIV; and Study 3 examined the association of stereotypes to satisfaction and help-seeking among a sample of homeless individuals. Overall findings indicate that individuals who held more negative stereotypes about physicians sought care less often when sick, were less satisfied with the care that they did obtain, and were less likely to adhere to physician recommendations for treatment. Moreover, African Americans, but not Whites, with more positive stereotypes reported better adherence in Study 2 and were more satisfied with their health care in Study 3. Our findings point to the need to better understand the role of patients’ beliefs about health care in predicting health care satisfaction and health behaviors.