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Misunderstandings in prescribing decisions in general practice: qualitative study
N Britten1, F A Stevenson, C A Barry
1Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's Department of General Practice and Primary Care, King's College, London SE11 6SP. nicky.britten@kcl.ac.uk
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|March 4, 2000
Summary
Patient participation in prescribing decisions is crucial for effective treatment. Misunderstandings between doctors and patients regarding medications can lead to adverse outcomes and non-adherence.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Patient-Doctor Communication
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prescribing decisions in general practice are complex.
- Effective communication is vital for successful medication management.
- Patient-doctor misunderstandings can negatively impact health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe misunderstandings between patients and doctors related to prescribing decisions.
- To explore the impact of these misunderstandings on patient adherence and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving 20 general practices.
- Data collected from 20 general practitioners and 35 patients.
- Analysis of misunderstandings with potential or actual adverse consequences for medication use.
Main Results:
- 14 categories of misunderstandings were identified, including patient/doctor information gaps, conflicting information, and communication failures.
- Lack of patient participation in consultations was linked to all misunderstandings.
- Adverse outcomes such as non-adherence were associated with these misunderstandings, often stemming from inaccurate assumptions about medicines.
Conclusions:
- Patient participation in consultations is essential for successful prescribing.
- Addressing communication gaps and fostering patient involvement can mitigate adverse outcomes.
- An educational intervention is being developed based on these findings.