Biomaterial Database

Psychosocial problems: what help do rural and urban patients want from their family physicians? 1987

E E Rosenberg, and Y E Steinert

We surveyed 399 patients of family physicians in two rural Canadian towns to determine what help with 30 psychosocial problems they wanted from their physicians. The patients completed a self-administered questionnaire in which they could choose from four levels of physician involvement: no involvement, knowledge of the problem but no help, knowledge of the problem and referral to a specialist, and treatment by the physician. Half of the patients wanted help with life-cycle problems, and over half desired treatment for sleeping problems, anxiety and depression. However, close to 50% of the patients desired no help for interpersonal problems, and over 50% wished to see a specialist for help in coping with a physical illness and long-term pain. Interestingly, English-speaking patients wanted significantly more physician involvement than did French-speaking patients. The results were similar to those of an earlier study of urban patients. Implications for family medicine training are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007398	Interpersonal Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons.	Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D007802	Language	A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings.	Dialect,Dialects,Languages
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010361	Patients	Individuals participating in the health care system for the purpose of receiving therapeutic, diagnostic, or preventive procedures.	Clients,Client,Patient
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D002170	Canada	The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man