The Attitude-Behavior Discrepancy in Medical Decision Making

BACKGROUND In medical practice, the dissatisfaction of patients about medical decisions made by doctors is often regarded as the fuse of doctor-patient conflict. However, a few studies have looked at why there are such dissatisfactions. OBJECTIVES This experimental study aimed to explore the discrepancy between attitude and behavior within medical situations and its interaction with framing description. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 450 clinical undergraduates were randomly assigned to six groups and investigated using the classic medical decision making problem, which was described either in a positive or a negative frame (2) × decision making behavior\attitude to risky plan\attitude to conservative plan (3). RESULTS A discrepancy between attitude and behavior did exist in medical situations. Regarding medical dilemmas, if the mortality rate was described, subjects had a significant tendency to choose a conservative plan (t = 3.55, P < 0.01) yet if the survival rate was described, there was no such preference (t = -1.48, P > 0.05). However, regardless of the plan chosen by the doctor, the subjects had a significant opposing attitude (P < .05). Framing description had a significant impact on both decision making behavior and attitude (t behavior = -3.24, P < 0.01；t attitude to surgery = 4.08，P < 0.01；t attitude to radiation = -2.15，P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS A discrepancy of attitude-behavior does exist in medical situations. The framing of a description has an impact on medical decision-making.