Analysis of new outpatients’ responses to a survey of their reasons for visiting a dental clinic

Abstract

Background: To practice holistic therapy, health professionals must understand not only biological information but also psychological and social aspects of patient complaints at the first visit medical interview. However, few studies have investigated psychological and social causes associated with the patient’s complaint. Although patients’ complaints are expected to be related to their background and behavior, research on this issue has been limited. Aim: This study investigated the proportions of biological, psychological, and social causes contributing to patients’ complaints as well as the influences of new outpatients’ backgrounds on reasons for visiting our hospital. Methods: We analyzed health questionnaires from 5129 new outpatients visiting our hospital. Patients’ reasons for visiting the dental hospital were classified into three categories: “biological,” “psychological,” and “social.” We subdivided biological reasons based on the patient’s explanatory model. Descriptions of psychological reasons were subdivided into several groups. Results: Biological, psychological, and social reasons for visiting our hospital were given by 86%, 6%, and 8% of patients, respectively. Compared to men, significantly more women gave psychological reasons, while significantly more men gave social reasons. Patients who had attended another dental clinic were significantly more likely to indicate a psychological reason. Among patients who had attended another dental clinic, the most common reason for visiting our hospital was dissatisfaction. Patients who had not previously consulted any medical clinic tended to present explanatory models. Patients without a surgical history or systemic disease and those not taking medication showed similar tendencies. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a patient’s background affects their behavior.

Keywords

Biopsychosocial model - explanatory model - first visit medical interview - holistic therapy

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