Objective: To assess and to compare roles as perceived by physicians and nurses regarding medical information delivered to patients and to set this against patients' opinions on the quality of the medical information delivered to them.
Methods: A questionnaire administered to 302 physicians (MDs) and 533 nurses (NUs), and an inpatient satisfaction survey administered to 1246 patients the day before discharge, as a part of a quality improvement program on patient information in a university hospital.
Results: MDs and NUs reported that diagnosis and prognosis announcements were made by MDs alone. Concerning explanations about diagnosis, information on investigations, and benefits and risks of treatment, NUs considered that they provided information in addition to MDs, while MDs considered that it was generally they alone who delivered the information. Patients were generally very satisfied with information delivered, but more than 20% were not satisfied with information on benefits and risks of investigations and treatments. The most important problem underlined by NUs was that they lacked knowledge of the medical information delivered to patients by MDs (55%).
Conclusion: Perceived roles in the transmission of medical information to patients were very different between MDs and NUs. Patient satisfaction seemed to be greater where professional roles were clear-cut. Physicians did not recognise the primary role of the NUs. Lack of MD-NU collaboration affects the quality of patient care.
Practice implications: A better definition of the specific roles of MDs and NUs, their training in effective methods of asserting opinions and knowledge and in conducting collaborative ward rounds would be of benefit to patients.