Perceptions of uncertainty in medical care among non-medical citizens and nurses in Japan: A cross- sectional internet-based survey

Background: Patient safety impacts not only patients and their relatives but also patients’ health outcomes and lives. While medical care providers make efforts to prevent medical accidents, medical care is inherently characterized by uncertainty in its processes and outcomes. This study aimed to compare tolerance of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical citizens and nurses. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional internet-based survey. Participants included 2,100 individuals (600 nurses and 1,500 non-medical citizens) from different parts of Japan, aged 20 years and above. Of these, we excluded 70 participants who were classified as non-medical citizens but were registered nurses. Finally, we analyzed data from 2,030 participants (600 nurses and 1,430 non-medical citizens). Three registered nurses and nursing researchers developed an original questionnaire on tolerance of uncertainty in medical care. Data regarding participants’ characteristics (age, sex, education level, marital status, having children, population size of the residential area, medical care usage, and occupation) were obtained. We conducted a one-way analysis of variance to compare data from non-medical citizens and nurses and used a multiple regression model to investigate the factors related to the scores of tolerance of uncertainty in medical care. Results A high percentage of participants were aged 40−50 years (n = 745, 36.7%); the sample mostly consisted of female participants (n = 1,210, 59.6%) and had a higher percentage of medical care users (n = 1,309, 64.5%). Non-medical citizens were found to be less tolerant of uncertainty than nurses, and uncertainty scores were associated with medical care usage, occupation, and population size of the residential area. Conclusions Our results indicated differences in the perceptions of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical citizens and medical care providers. To reduce conflicts related to medical issues, medical care providers need to improve citizen education regarding perceptions of uncertainty in medical care.