Most Patients Can't Name Hospital Doctors Who treat Them, Survey Says

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You may know the name of your family doctor, but if you've had hospital care, can you name any of the physicians who treated you?

Most likely you can't, the New York Times reports.

The Times cites a recent University of Chicago study that surveyed almost 3,000 patients admitted to that school's hospital during a 15-month period.

The study group was asked a series of questions about the various professionals who treated them, including names and medical specialties. Only 25 percent were able to come up with a name, and only 40 percent of those got the name right, the newspaper reports.

With all the hustle and bustle of hospital life, the results weren't all that surprising, the Times says. But Carol Levine, director of the families and health care project of the United Hospital Fund in New York, told the newspaper that sometimes, family members and caregivers are the people who keep track of the hospital professionals.

"In a way, the patient is in the worst position possible to make notes and jot down names," Levine is quoted as saying, "but family members are often involved, and theyre the ones running down the hallway to track down a doctor."

The survey is published in the current edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.