Description

The Fear of Physician (FOP-4) is a tool designed to assess individuals’ fear and anxiety during visits to the doctor. This scale aims to understand patients’ reactions to medical examinations, diagnoses, and treatments. It includes a series of brief questions that help detect levels of fear related to medical visits.

Analysis and Use of Data

The FOP-4 is used in both clinical and research settings to understand how fear of the doctor can impact medical care. The information collected can help healthcare professionals address patients’ fear and anxiety, thus facilitating their compliance with medical instructions. Data analysis involves calculating the total score of the scale and identifying the individual’s level of fear.

Purpose

The purpose of the FOP-4 scale is to detect and assess patients’ fear during their visits to the doctor. Understanding this fear allows doctors to adjust their approach to improve communication and the therapeutic process.

Scoring

The FOP-4 scale consists of 4 questions, which are rated on a Likert scale (e.g., from 0 = “Not at all” to 4 = “Very much”). The total score is obtained by summing the responses and ranges from 0 to 16. A higher score indicates a higher level of fear towards the doctor.

Bibliography

Kleinknecht, R. A., Thorndike, R. M. (1990). The development of a short fear of physician scale: Assessment and implications. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(1), 1-7.
Stewart, S. H., & Watt, M. C. (2001). Anxiety sensitivity and fear of medical procedures. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(10), 1007-1018.
Haug, T., & Brenne, L. (2005). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with fear of medical treatment. Scandinavian Journal of Behaviour Therapy, 34(1), 23-30.
Kleinknecht, R. A. (1995). The role of fear in health care avoidance: An examination using the Fear of Physician Scale. Journal of Health Psychology, 5(3), 305-315.