Dataset Information

Patient-initiated questions: How can doctors encourage them and improve the consultation process? A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the circumstances under which patients initiate direct questions in oncology consultations.

Design

Conversation analysis of 47 consultations between oncologists and patients with cancer.

Setting

An oncology clinic at a teaching hospital in the East Midlands.

Participants

16 Oncologists and 67 cancer patients.

Outcome measure

Patient initiated direct questions.

Results

On the whole patients' direct questions are designed to seek specific information regarding, the cancer itself, treatment options or their experience of symptoms. When patients do ask direct questions they typically follow the announcement of test results where some reference to the details of those results, is provided. More specifically, there seems to be a relation between showing the patient their scan/X-ray results, patient involvement and patient-initiated direct questions. Higher levels of patient-initiated direct questions were clustered around occasions where doctors provided information and explanations of test results (12 consultations) sometimes with direct reference to scan or X-ray results (7 consultations).

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of careful explanation of diagnostic evidence as a factor contributing to increased patient involvement. More specifically, the findings suggest that, when appropriate, invoking diagnostic evidence (eg, scan or X-ray results) is an effective way of increasing levels of patient question asking. Doctors need to be able to encourage patient question asking to ensure that patients have at their disposal an important means through which they can determine their information needs. Although these results come from a study of oncology consultations, the findings may be transferable to other clinical contexts.

SUBMITTER: Murtagh GM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3808777 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Patient-initiated questions: How can doctors encourage them and improve the consultation process? A qualitative study.

Murtagh G M GM Furber L L Thomas A L AL

BMJ open 20131016 10

<h4>Objective</h4>To investigate the circumstances under which patients initiate direct questions in oncology consultations.<h4>Design</h4>Conversation analysis of 47 consultations between oncologists and patients with cancer.<h4>Setting</h4>An oncology clinic at a teaching hospital in the East Midlands.<h4>Participants</h4>16 Oncologists and 67 cancer patients.<h4>Outcome measure</h4>Patient initiated direct questions.<h4>Results</h4>On the whole patients' direct questions are designed to seek ...[more]

PMID: 24131524

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Dataset Information

Patient-initiated questions: How can doctors encourage them and improve the consultation process? A qualitative study.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Outcome measure

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Patient-initiated questions: How can doctors encourage them and improve the consultation process? A qualitative study.

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