Dentists' and patients' preferences for paternalistic, consumerist, and partnership models in the doctor–patient relationship: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background:The doctor–patient relationship plays a central role in treatment adherence, satisfaction, and therapeutic outcomes. In dental practice, this relationship is commonly conceptualized through paternalistic, consumerist, and partnership-based interaction models.

Objective: To evaluate dentists’ and patients’ preferences for paternalistic, consumerist, and partnership doctor–patient relationship models, and to assess the influence of sociodemographic variables.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December 2020, including 107 dentists and 157 dental patients. Participants completed three author-developed structured questionnaires, each designed to assess one doctor–patient relationship model. Preferences were analyzed according to age, sex, place of residence, and educational level (patients), using descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square test, and internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha).

Results: Both dentists and patients demonstrated high levels of preference for paternalistic and consumerist relationship models. Preference for the paternalistic model was stable across all sociodemographic categories and showed no statistically significant associations with age, sex, place of residence, or educational level. The consumerist model was also widely endorsed; however, inferential analysis did not reveal statistically significant associations with demographic variables after categorical consolidation. By contrast, the partnership-based relationship model showed low levels of explicit preference and high levels of uncertainty, with no sociodemographic variable significantly influencing its endorsement. The questionnaires demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.79–0.84).