Preferred medium of receiving diagnostic news depending on patients’ perception of their health status (Healthy or sick)

Abstract

Background: The study aims to gain insight into people’s preferred medium of receiving diagnostic news depending on their perception of their health status (either sick or healthy). Methods: Comprehensive research was carried out on two main groups of past and prospective patients, Polish respondents (N=72) and International respondents (N= 214), using a CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique. Respondents were asked in an online questionnaire about the past history of illness, whether they would like to receive their diagnostic news and preferred medium of receiving diagnostic news whether they perceive they are sick or healthy. Results: Amongst the international group, majority of respondents (143 resp. – 73.71%) would generally like to receive their diagnostic news and 156 resp. (80.83%) would prefer to receive their bad diagnostic news (BDN) from medical specialist doctors as opposed to other technological and non-technological means. Meanwhile, in the polish group, 65 resp. (90.28%) would like to generally receive their diagnostic news and 66 resp. (91.67%) would prefer to receive their BDN from medical specialist doctors as opposed to other proposed means of obtaining BDN. Conclusion: The result of this study indicates that medical doctors, especially specialists, are still a preferred medium of receiving diagnostic news. However, a certain proportion of respondents will be open to technological medium in receiving their diagnostic news.