The physician-patient working alliance

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive and emotional dimensions of the physician-patient relationship (working alliance) were examined in relation to patients' beliefs about the usefulness of treatment (perceived utility), patients' beliefs about being able to adhere to treatment (adherence self-efficacy beliefs), patients' follow through on their treatment plan (adherence), and patients' satisfaction. Methods: Participants were 51 men and 67 women who averaged 38.9 years of age (S.D. = 12.28). Seventy-two were Euro-American, 23 African-American, 6 Asian-American, 11 Hispanic, and 6 "Other." They reported an average of 7.3 years (S.D. = 7.48) since being diagnosed with a chronic medical illness and an average of 7.1 (S.D. = 4.88) visits to their doctor within the last year. Patients' conditions included HIV+/AIDS, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and cancer. Results: Results show moderate to strong relationships between working alliance and perceived utility (r = 0.63, P < 0.001), self-efficacy (r = 0.47, P < 0.001), adherence (r = 0.53, P < 0.001), and satisfaction (r = 0.83, P < 0.001). Regression analyses showed that ratings of the working alliance (SB = 0.25, P < 0.005) and self-efficacy beliefs (SB = 0.48, P < 0.001) predicted patient adherence and that working alliance ratings (SB = 0.83, P < 0.001) also predicted patient satisfaction. Conclusion: The working alliance can be measured in medical care and appears to be strongly associated with patients' adherence to and satisfaction with treatment. Practice implications: The working alliance is important in medical treatment, as it is associated with patient adherence and satisfaction. Patients' self-efficacy ought to be assessed and promoted as it is also associated with treatment adherence. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.