PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Merenstein, Beth
AU  - Merenstein, Joel
TI  - Patient Reflections: Saying Good-Bye to a Retiring Family Doctor
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2008.05.070186
DP  - 2008 Sep 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
PG  - 461--465
VI  - 21
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/21/5/461.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/21/5/461.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2008 Sep 01; 21
AB  - Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the doctor–patient relationship as expressed in written comments to a retiring family physician.Methods:All 200 of the written notes and e-mails to a single family physician retiring after 42 years in practice were examined using content analysis for general themes and meaning. No phone or personal verbal responses were included.Results: Seven themes emerged with regards to what patients appreciated in their family physician relationship. These included “being there,” caring, medical expertise, personal characteristics, multiple roles/anything goes, family, and continuity.Conclusion: Analyzing comments from actual patients at the end of a long-term relationship with an individual physician confirms beliefs of what patients consider important based on theoretical models, surveys, and interviews.