Objectives: To understand how patients, doctors, and families see, form, and commit to relationship and how power and gender influence their interpersonal processes and meanings.
Methods: Grounded theory methodology was used. There were six family medicine physicians, ten patients, and ten family members who participated. Physicians, patients, and family members were matched.
Results: Four themes emerged: types of patient-doctor-family relationships (extended family and traditional), types of care (relationship-centered care (RCC), family-oriented care (FOC), whole-person care (WPC), and patient-centered care (PCC)), commitment and intimacy, and interpersonal processes (perception of relationship shape, bonding, confidence and trust, equality and partnership, mutuality, and shared story). Results showed that patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as extended family relationships were associated with RCC, FOC, and WPC, sustained commitment and genuine intimacy, and a circle relationship shape. Patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as traditional relationships were associated with PCC, limited commitment and pseudo intimacy, and a triangle relationship shape.
Discussion: Findings revealed the significance of the patient-doctor-family relationship in healthcare not previously identified. The themes of intimacy and commitment also have not been previously associated with the patient-doctor-family relationship and healthcare.
Practice Implications: Medical family therapists may find it beneficial to consider the level of intimacy and commitment in the patient-doctor-family relationship in order to better plan collaboration strategies.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>Objectives</strong>: To understand how patients, doctors, and families see, form, and commit to relationship and how power and gender influence their interpersonal processes and meanings.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> Grounded theory methodology was used. There were six family medicine physicians, ten patients, and ten family members who participated. Physicians, patients, and family members were matched.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: Four themes emerged: types of patient-doctor-family relationships (extended family and traditional), types of care (relationship-centered care (RCC), family-oriented care (FOC), whole-person care (WPC), and patient-centered care (PCC)), commitment and intimacy, and interpersonal processes (perception of relationship shape, bonding, confidence and trust, equality and partnership, mutuality, and shared story). Results showed that patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as extended family relationships were associated with RCC, FOC, and WPC, sustained commitment and genuine intimacy, and a circle relationship shape. Patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as traditional relationships were associated with PCC, limited commitment and pseudo intimacy, and a triangle relationship shape.</p> <p><strong>Discussion:</strong> Findings revealed the significance of the patient-doctor-family relationship in healthcare not previously identified. The themes of intimacy and commitment also have not been previously associated with the patient-doctor-family relationship and healthcare.</p> <p><strong>Practice Implications:</strong> Medical family therapists may find it beneficial to consider the level of intimacy and commitment in the patient-doctor-family relationship in order to better plan collaboration strategies.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Perez, Josephine M. M."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Marital and Family Therapy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Carmen Knudson-Martin","Douglas Huenergardt","Mary E. Moline","Betty J. Winslow"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z","subjects":["Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Physician-Patient Relations; Professional-Family Relations; Professional Role; Patient Satisfaction; Gender Identity."],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/689","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Carmen Knudson-Martin","Douglas Huenergardt","Mary E. Moline","Betty J. Winslow"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Perez, Josephine M. M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Marital and Family Therapy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Physician-Patient Relations; Professional-Family Relations; Professional Role; Patient Satisfaction; Gender Identity."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/689"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Objectives: To understand how patients, doctors, and families see, form, and commit to relationship and how power and gender influence their interpersonal processes and meanings.
Methods: Grounded theory methodology was used. There were six family medicine physicians, ten patients, and ten family members who participated. Physicians, patients, and family members were matched.
Results: Four themes emerged: types of patient-doctor-family relationships (extended family and traditional), types of care (relationship-centered care (RCC), family-oriented care (FOC), whole-person care (WPC), and patient-centered care (PCC)), commitment and intimacy, and interpersonal processes (perception of relationship shape, bonding, confidence and trust, equality and partnership, mutuality, and shared story). Results showed that patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as extended family relationships were associated with RCC, FOC, and WPC, sustained commitment and genuine intimacy, and a circle relationship shape. Patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as traditional relationships were associated with PCC, limited commitment and pseudo intimacy, and a triangle relationship shape.
Discussion: Findings revealed the significance of the patient-doctor-family relationship in healthcare not previously identified. The themes of intimacy and commitment also have not been previously associated with the patient-doctor-family relationship and healthcare.
Practice Implications: Medical family therapists may find it beneficial to consider the level of intimacy and commitment in the patient-doctor-family relationship in order to better plan collaboration strategies.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Creating the Patient-Doctor-Family Relationship: Issues of Power and Gender"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Carmen Knudson-Martin","Douglas Huenergardt","Mary E. Moline","Betty J. Winslow"],"dc:creator":["Perez, Josephine M. M."],"dc:description.abstract":["Objectives: To understand how patients, doctors, and families see, form, and commit to relationship and how power and gender influence their interpersonal processes and meanings.
Methods: Grounded theory methodology was used. There were six family medicine physicians, ten patients, and ten family members who participated. Physicians, patients, and family members were matched.
Results: Four themes emerged: types of patient-doctor-family relationships (extended family and traditional), types of care (relationship-centered care (RCC), family-oriented care (FOC), whole-person care (WPC), and patient-centered care (PCC)), commitment and intimacy, and interpersonal processes (perception of relationship shape, bonding, confidence and trust, equality and partnership, mutuality, and shared story). Results showed that patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as extended family relationships were associated with RCC, FOC, and WPC, sustained commitment and genuine intimacy, and a circle relationship shape. Patient-doctor-family relationships that were viewed as traditional relationships were associated with PCC, limited commitment and pseudo intimacy, and a triangle relationship shape.
Discussion: Findings revealed the significance of the patient-doctor-family relationship in healthcare not previously identified. The themes of intimacy and commitment also have not been previously associated with the patient-doctor-family relationship and healthcare.
Practice Implications: Medical family therapists may find it beneficial to consider the level of intimacy and commitment in the patient-doctor-family relationship in order to better plan collaboration strategies.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/689"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Physician-Patient Relations; Professional-Family Relations; Professional Role; Patient Satisfaction; Gender Identity."],"dc:title":["Creating the Patient-Doctor-Family Relationship: Issues of Power and Gender"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Marital and Family Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z"}