Table 1 Basic information of medical personnel and their perceptions of patient–physician relationship

Demographic Characteristics

 Sex

  Male

4621(10.3%)

16,679(37.3%)

23,458(52.4%)

44,758(25.4%)

324.949

< 0.001

  Female

10,187(7.7%)

52,517(39.9%)

68,936(52.4%)

131,640(74.6%)

 Age

  18–35

8253(8.5%)

37,744(39.1%)

50,575(52.4%)

96,572(54.7%)

6.941

0.031

  > 35

6555(8.2%)

31,452(39.4%)

41,819(52.4%)

79,826(45.3%)

 Education

  Junior college and below

4245 (6.0%)

23,878 (34.0%)

42,137 (60.0%)

70,260(39.8%)

3253.289

< 0.001

  Bachelor’s degree

9422 (9.6%)

41,357 (42.2%)

47,131 (48.1%)

97,910 (55.5%)

  Master’s degree and above

1141(13.9%)

3961 (48.1%)

3126 (38.0%)

8228 (4.7%)

Career information

 Institution categories

  Hospitals

11,763 (8.8%)

52,728 (39.6%)

68,590 (51.5%)

133,081 (75.4%)

221.553

< 0.001

  Other medical institutions

3045 (7.0%)

16,468 (38.0%)

23,804 (55.0%)

43,317 (24.6%)

 Professional categories

  Clinical physician

6881(10.4%)

26,978(40.7%)

32,376(48.9%)

66,235(37.5%)

811.224

< 0.001

  Other specialties

7927(7.2%)

42,218(38.3%)

60,018(54.5%)

110,163(62.5%)

 Years of working experience

  ≤ 10

7632 (8.3%)

35,481 (38.4%)

49,181 (53.3%)

92,294 (52.3%)

84.560

< 0.001

  11–20

4424 (8.9%)

19,833 (39.7%)

25,692 (51.4%)

49,949 (28.3%)

  >20

2752 (8.1%)

13,882 (40.6%)

17,521 (51.3%)

34,155 (19.4%)

 Titles

  No title

1773 (5.1%)

10,843 (31.2%)

22,192 (63.8%)

34,808 (19.7%)

3337.892

< 0.001

  Junior

5866 (8.1%)

27,977 (38.5%)

38,805 (53.4%)

72,648 (41.2%)

  Intermediate professional

4655 (10.1%)

20,092 (43.4%)

21,515 (46.5%)

46,262 (26.2%)

  Senior

2514 (11.1%)

10,284 (45.3%)

9882 (43.6%)

22,680 (12.9%)

Health status

 Self-reported health status

  Poor

1224 (31.9%)

1710(44.6%)

901(23.5%)

3835 (2.2%)

10521.326

< 0.001

  Average

5614 (13.5%)

21,307 (51.1%)

14,801 (35.5%)

41,722 (23.7%)

  Good

7970 (6.1%)

46,179 (35.3%)

76,692 (58.6%)

130,841 (74.2%)