Doctor-patient Partnerships: the Key to a Better Standard of Medical Advice?

Background: The current legal standard of advice in Singapore has three components: distinction of advice from the other parts of clinical consultation (i.e. diagnosis and treatment) for the purpose of standard setting, categories of information that need to be disclosed to patients and how the adequacy of this information is judged in court. A review of empirical data shows that information deficit is not the only or most pressing concern in decision-making from the patients' perspective. The data also reflects the value that is placed on relationships that patients have with their treating doctors. Features of a good doctor-patient relationship can be found in partnerships, which are based on therapeutic alliance and mutuality. Objective: To develop a contextual understanding of the role of clinical partnerships in Singapore, empirical data is needed from both patients and healthcare workers on their understanding and interpretation of doctor-patient partnerships and how medical decisions are made using this relationship. Design: A qualitative study using interpretive analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted via in-person, telephone and videoconferencing interviews.