The attitude-behavior discrepancy in medical decision making

• Published in: Iranian red crescent medical journal 2014-12, Vol.16 (12), p.1-5
• Main Authors: Zeng, Juli, He, Fei, Cao, Rong, Li, Dongdong, Guan, Hao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Clinical medicine; Decision making; Patients; اتخاذ القرارات; الطب السريري; المرضى; المواقف
• ISSN: 2074-1804; 2074-1812
• DOI: 10.5812/ircmj.14612

Background : In medical practice, the dissatisfaction of patients about medical decisions made by doctors is often regarded as the fuse of doctor-patient conflict. However, a few studies have looked at why there are such dissatisfactions. Objectives : This experimental study aimed to explore the discrepancy between attitude and behavior within medical situations and its interaction with framing description. Patients and Methods : A total of 450 clinical undergraduates were randomly assigned to six groups and investigated using the classic medical decision making problem, which was described either in a positive or a negative frame (2) × decision making behavior \ attitude to risky plan\attitude to conservative plan (3). Results: A discrepancy between attitude and behavior did exist in medical situations. Regarding medical dilemmas, if the mortality rate was described, subjects had a significant tendency to choose a conservative plan (t = 3.55, P < 0.01) yet if the survival rate was described, there was no such preference (t = -1.48, P > 0.05). However, regardless of the plan chosen by the doctor, the subjects had a significant opposing attitude (P < .05). Framing description had a significant impact on both decision making behavior and attitude (t behavior = -3.24, P < 0.01；t attitude to surgery = 4.08，P < 0.01；t attitude to radiation = -2.15，P < 0.05). Conclusions : A discrepancy of attitude-behavior does exist in medical situations. The framing of a description has an impact on medical decision-making.