Effect of shift work on patient-doctor relationship in emergency department

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to find effect of shift work on patient-doctor relationship in Emergency Department. METHODS: In a prospective cross-sectional study, 352 patients (mean age of 44 ± 17 years, 131 females and 221 males) referred to the emergency department of Rasoul-Akram hospital were enrolled in the study. The patient-doctor relationship questionnaire (PDRQ) was asked to be filled by patients. The questionnaires contained 9 items and the appropriateness of the statements was simplified to a scale of 1 (not at all) through 5 (totally). RESULTS: Comparing three shift works, the highest PDRQ score was for morning (27.1 ± 5.5) and the lowest value was for afternoon shift (23.8 ± 5.3). PDRQ score for night shift was 25.1 ± 6.9 (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study encouraged that patients’ satisfaction of relationship with doctors was the lowest in the afternoon and it may be better to implement some strategies to reduce residents’ workloads and increase quality of works in the afternoon shifts.