Relative Influence of Physicians and Patients in the Prescribing Decision

Abstract

In-depth one-on-one interviews were conducted with doctors and their patients in order to develop a model of the antecedents of perceived relative influence in joint decision making in the context of the prescription decision. The resulting conceptual model includes factors such as patient perceived knowledge, patient locus of control, patient assertiveness, patient assessment of the physician's expert power, the physician's relinquishment of control and the physician's professional assessment of the patient request. Each of these six potential explanatory variables is postulated to impact the perceived relative influence in the prescription decision.