Characterising Patients’ Preferences for Information in Doctor-Patient Interactions

This study involved 108 diabetic patients from a public hospital. The conjoint analysis was used in characterising patients’ preferences for information during clinical consultations. The results showed that patients gave priority to the quality of information transferred, represented by clear explanation and active listening from the doctor. Besides, information regarding treatment was preferred to information on diagnosis and illness. Preferences also varied across patients based on their socio-economic characteristics.