J Korean Med Sci.  2015 May;30(5):632-638. 10.3346/jkms.2015.30.5.632.

A Korean Survey on Qualities and Definition of a Good Psychiatrist

• Kim JH
• Tor PC
• King J
• Seo JS

• KMID: 2155478
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2015.30.5.632

Abstract

The definition of a "good" psychiatrist has varied over the past decades due to changing roles of psychiatrists. Studies on the qualities of "good" psychiatrists have been completed in many countries. However, no such study has been undertaken in Korea. In Korea, recent growing interest in psychiatry demands the identification of qualities for a good psychiatrist. The purpose of this study was to define the qualities of a good psychiatrist in Korea, subsequently facilitating the improvement of psychiatric training programs. The questionnaire was based on a Singaporean survey with the permission from the original authors. Respondents were divided into patient group and psychiatrist group. The 40-item questionnaire contained items grouped into four themes: Professional, Personal Values, Academic Executive and Relationship. Of the four themes, both patient and psychiatrist groups considered Professional as the most important, whereas Academic Executive as the least important. The mean scores for all items of each theme in the patient group were higher than those in the psychiatrist group, reflecting higher expectations for good psychiatrist in the patient group. Patients emphasized Relationship more than psychiatrists did. It is concluded that a good psychiatrist in Korea can be defined as "a good communicator and listener with a professional manner, who respects confidentiality and has good doctor-patient relationships."

Keyword

Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Clinical Competence; Comparative Study; Physician-Patient Relations; Internship and Residency; Education; Ethics

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Humans
Internship and Residency
Male
Middle Aged
Patients/*psychology
Physician-Patient Relations
Physicians/*psychology
Psychiatry/*classification
Republic of Korea
Surveys and Questionnaires
Translating

Reference

1. Langsley DG, Yager J. The definition of a psychiatrist: eight years later. Am J Psychiatry. 1988; 145:469–475.

2. Bhugra D, Sivakumar K, Holsgrove G, Butler G, Leese M. What makes a good psychiatrist? A survey of clinical tutors responsible for psychiatric training in the UK and Eire. World Psychiatry. 2009; 8:119–120.

3. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Good psychiatric practice. 3rd ed. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists;2009.

4. General Medical Council. Good medical practice. London: General Medical Council;2006.

5. Mikhael NZ. Advance standards: the Canadian concept of specialty competence as delineated by physician roles. In : Scheiber SC, Kramer TAM, Adamowski SE, editors. American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Core competencies for neurologists : what clinicians need to know : a report of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. Philadelphia: Butterworth-Heinemann;2003. p. 121.

6. An K, Lee SH, Park EJ, Sohn I, Lee JH, Lee JS, Hahn SW. Development of new residency training programs for psychiatry in Korea. J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc. 2013; 52:187–196.

7. Tor PC, Ng TP, Lim L, Ng BY, Ang YG, Winslow M, Wong ST, Goh LG. Qualities of a good psychiatrist. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2009; 1:9–14.

8. Abu-Hilal M, Morgan EC, Lewis G, McPhail M, Malik HZ, Hocken D. What makes a good doctor in the 21st century? A qualitative study. Br J Hosp Med(Lond). 2006; 67:375–377.

9. Hill D. The qualities of a good psychiatrist. Br J Psychiatry. 1978; 133:97–105.

10. Shin SK, Lukens EP. Effects of psychoeducation for Korean Americans with chronic mental illness. Psychiatr Serv. 2002; 53:1125–1131.

11. Kim SW, Yoon JS. Suicide, an urgent health issue in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2013; 28:345–347.

12. Sartorius N. Stigma and mental health. Lancet. 2007; 370:810–811.

13. Lee YM, Ahn DS. A Preliminary Study for Exploring the Attributes of being a "Good Doctor". Korean J Med Educ. 2007; 19:313–323.

14. Fones CS, Kua EH, Goh LG. 'What makes a good doctor?' Views of the medical profession and the public in setting priorities for medical education. Singapore Med J. 1998; 39:537–542.

15. Leahy M, Cullen W, Bury G. "What makes a good doctor?" A cross sectional survey of public opinion. Ir Med J. 2003; 96:38–41.

16. Tor PC, Chee C, Lee HY, Sundram M, Goh LG, Ng TP, Kua EH. Qualities of a good psychiatrist: Differences between psychiatrists and patients. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2012; 4:90.

17. Wensing M, Jung HP, Mainz J, Olesen F, Grol R. A systematic review of the literature on patient priorities for general practice care. Part 1: Description of the research domain. Soc Sci Med. 1998; 47:1573–1588.

18. Tor PC, Tan JO. Qualities of a good Singaporean psychiatrist: qualitative differences between psychiatrists and patients. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2014; Doi: 10.1111/appy.12149.