Is Interpersonal Fairness in the Doctor-Patient Relationship Associated with Long-Term Compliance in Patients with Schizophrenia?

Does an interpersonal fair treatment of patients with schizophrenia by their hospital psychiatrists improve patients’ intentions to take the antipsychotic medicine when leaving the hospital, long-term compliance and the perceived quality of medical treatment? 71 acutely ill in-patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and their doctors were included in this study. At hospital discharge patients received a questionnaire measuring their interpersonal fairness perceptions, the perceived quality of medical treatment, and intention to take the medicine. After 6 month we also measured patients’ long-term compliance. Data were analyzed by correlational analyses and path model. The results indicated that interpersonal fairness increased patients’ long-term compliance, which was mediated by the intention to take the medicine when leaving the hospital and the perceived quality of medical attendance. Thus, without consuming more time, an interpersonal fair treatment of patients by their doctors seems to have beneficial effects on patients’ perceived quality of medical care and long-term compliance. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are briefly discussed.