Professional Presumptuousness of Doctors and Gender Role on Doctor-Patient Communication

Physicians are more presumptuous than patients in verbal interaction. This study was conducted to measure the ratio of physicians’ and patients’ presumptuousness، and the role of gender in order to find an appropriate model for doctor-patient interaction. One hundred and one interviews in Mazandaran Medical Sciences hospitals were studied by using Stiles coding system. The physicians were 10. 4 times more presumptuous than the patients. The most presumptuousness in the physicians was in physical examination، and in the patients، it was in conclusion. The least presumptuousness in physicians and in patients was in history taking and in physical examination، respectively. There was a meaningful difference in presumptuousness between men and women in the patients (P<0. 05)، while there was no meaningful difference between men and women in the physicians. Among the patients، rustics، low educated ones، and the elders were more presumptuous. When the gender of physicians and patients was different، the presumptuousness increased; however، the presumptuousness decreased when the gender was the same. We can conclude that the physicians were much more presumptuous than the patients. Their presumptuousness varied from the most in physical examination to the least in the history taking، because the physicians received information during the history taking and they listened more. In physical examination، the patients were in a special situation، sometimes unrobed. It strongly affected the presumptuousness. Presumptuousness had a direct relation with social class. Social class was the main factor when there was a gender difference، and it increased the physicians’ presumptuousness. The Results showed that in the patients، politeness in lower class decreased the presumptuousness. Knowing these factors can help physicians and patients to have an appropriate outcome.