Perceived a community with shared future for doctor-patient and benefit finding: a moderated mediation model

Background: Under the background that the concept of a community with shared future for mankind has been advocated, the doctor-patient relationship has rapidly sublimated into a community with shared future for doctor-patient. The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes and relationships of anxiety, perceived a community with shared future for doctor-patient (PCSF), health self-consciousness (HSC) and benefit finding (BF) in the outbreak stage of COVID-19 and in the stable stage of COVID-19.

Methods: The questionnaire consisted of a self-designed health self-consciousness scale, perceived a community with shared future for doctor-patient scale, revised 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale and benefit finding scale. Questionnaires were administered in the outbreak stage of COVID-19 and in the stable stage of COVID-19 to address public anxiety, BF, and trust between medical staff and patients.

Results: Risk perception will increase anxiety in public, and the public who trust medical staff and the ability of the government to prevent and control the epidemic will have a higher PCSF. Compared with those in the outbreak stage of COVID-19, PCSF, HSC and BF all decreased in the stable stage of COVID-19. HSC partly plays a mediating role in the process of the influence of PCSF and BF (95% CI = [0.3785, 0.5007], [0.2357, 0.3695], P < .001). The R-value of the model in the outbreak stage of COVID-19 and in the stable stage of COVID-19 were 0.555 and 0.429, and the value of R² was 0.308 and 0.184 respectively (P < .001). In the stable stage of COVID-19, the coefficient of anxiety ✕ PCSF is negative. The B values of anxiety and PCSF are positive, and the moderating effect is negative (P = .038). Anxiety has a negative moderating effect between PCSF and HSC, indicating that anxiety will weaken the positive impact of PCSF on HSC. It means that there exists a substitution relationship between anxiety and PCSF.

Conclusions: The common goal of medical staff and patients is health, and health is the premise of the meaning of life. Vigorously advocating for PCSF can not only promote a harmonious doctor-patient relationship, but also establish a good HSC and improve the understanding of the meaning of life in the public. Furthermore, if the common concept of a community with a shared future for doctor-patient is integrated into the values of life, it may be more stable and long-term to maintain a good doctor-patient relationship. In addition, we should guard against the influence of high-level anxiety on the path of meaning perception.