Figure 1
The possible transformations in the doctor-patient relationship
Type of relationship is determined by problem and health care context.*
ASHD—arteriosclerotic heart disease, COPD—chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, DM—diabetes mellitus, GERD—gastroesophageal reflux disease, IBS—irritable bowel syndrome, MI—myocardial infarction, OA—osteoarthritis, RI—renal insufficiency, URTI—upper respiratory tract infection.
*To check what type of relationship corresponds to a patient problem defined in terms of both the acute-chronic and minor-serious dimensions, one must project a perpendicular line on the collaboration continuum diagonal. For example, in the case of a URTI, the proposed relationship corresponds to the expert-guide type; whereas in the case of stable GERD, the relationship is more of the facilitator type.
†Normal curve symbol represents possible variations in relationships resulting from setting and personal characteristics.