The lure of ‘patient choice’

British Journal of General Practice

Louise D Bryant¹  Hilary L Bekker¹  Allan House¹  Nicola Bown¹ 

[1] Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Leeds

关键词: choice behavior;    decision making;    patient choice;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：卫生学

来源: Royal College of General Practitioners

【 摘 要 】

As primary care practitioners are the health professionals closest to patients' everyday lives, they are most likely to experience the impact of policies that support the patient choice agenda. The government's approach to increasing patient choice has been subject to criticism by those sceptical of its politics and by those concerned with its influence on health providers and some patient groups. A perspective missing from the debate is one informed by research on the psychology of choice. Some psychologists have argued that a seemingly inbuilt preference for choice can adversely affect the decision-making process and that presenting healthcare decisions as choices may result in less reasoned decision making. It is important that GPs encourage patients to make reasoned healthcare decisions that are informed by an evaluation of the options rather than by a simple preference for choice. Patients are likely to be less satisfied with, and experience more regret about, choices made without reasoning.

【 授权许可】

Unknown