Patient-centred communication: videotaped consultations.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Medicine
• Patient-Physician Communication
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is crucial in healthcare outcomes.
• Understanding physician communication styles can enhance patient experience.
• Orthopaedic consultations require effective patient-physician interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze orthopaedic physician consultation management.
• To identify factors influencing patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
• To explore patient perspectives on consultations using video feedback.

Main Methods:

• Videotaping 18 orthopaedic physician-patient consultations.
• Patient review of video recordings with recorded feedback.
• Analysis of consultation patterns using the Consultation Map (CM) method.
• Categorization of consultations as positive, negative, or neutral based on patient comments.

Main Results:

• Positive consultations featured greater flexibility and rapid topic changes.
• Negative consultations involved slower pacing and less topic coverage.
• Key positive factors included 'Sharing Understanding' and 'Involving the Patient in Management'.
• Negative consultations were marked by prolonged focus on 'History of problems' and 'Patient Ideas', potentially due to unaddressed patient input.

Conclusions:

• The Consultation Map (CM) effectively differentiates satisfactory and unsatisfactory encounters.
• Physician flexibility and patient involvement significantly impact satisfaction.
• Addressing 'Patient Ideas' and fostering shared understanding are vital for positive orthopaedic consultations.