Companions boost satsifaction

Older people who are accompanied by a companion visitor when they go to the doctor report greater satisfaction with physician care, according to recent research.

The study conducted by researchers from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health investigated a group of over 12,000 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in the United States.

It found that more than a third (38.3 per cent) of older people are regularly accompanied by another person when they go to routine medical appointments. These people tend to be older and in poorer health than those who visit the GP on their own.

Close to two thirds of the companion visitors played an active role by recording doctor instructions, providing background information on patients or asking questions.

The researchers found that older people who were accompanied by a companion tended to be more highly satisfied with their physician’s technical skills, information giving and interpersonal skills, than unaccompanied survey participants.

That satisfaction rose again if the companion was actively engaged in communication with the GP and this usually occurred among patients who rated their health poorly.

The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.