Poll: 78% of American Adults Want Their Doctors to Improve Their Bedside Manner

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Some 78 percent of American adults want their doctors to improve their bedside manner, a new survey finds.

The poll of 1,000 people also found that less than half described their doctor's recent conduct as attentive, and just 32 percent described their doctor as compassionate during their most recent appointment, United Press International reported.

Among the other findings from the survey conducted for the Arnold P. Gold Foundation:

* Less than half of doctors cited displayed an interest in their patients' overall well-being, rather than focusing on specific ailments.

* 40 percent said their doctor made them feel rushed.
* 36 percent said their doctor didn't provide enough opportunity to discuss their concerns.
* 36 percent said their physician was outright rude or condescending.

"Many past studies have shown a strong correlation between patient and doctor satisfaction and better overall patient outcomes when doctors develop a relationship with their patients," Dr. Arnold P. Gold, founder of the foundation, said in a prepared statement.

"What this survey shows us is that patients are still craving for their physician to see the 'person' behind the prognosis and really want a 'connectedness' with their doctor," UPI quoted Gold as saying.