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The patients' written word: a simple communication aid
Thomas Wells1, Stephen Falk, Paul Dieppe
1Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, Horfield Road, Bristol BS2 8ED, UK. thomas.wells@ubht.swest.nhs.uk
Patient Education and Counseling
|August 4, 2004
Summary
Patients listing questions before appointments can improve doctor-patient communication. This study found biomedical questions were more common than psychosocial ones, but the intervention offered valuable insights for clinicians.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Patient Engagement
- Oncology Outpatient Care
Background:
- Effective doctor-patient communication is crucial for quality medical practice.
- Patient question-asking facilitates greater participation in healthcare decisions.
- Improving communication strategies in oncology settings is an ongoing need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of a patient question-listing intervention in an oncology clinic.
- To explore the types of questions and discussion topics patients raise.
- To evaluate the utility of patient-generated questions for enhancing clinical consultations.
Main Methods:
- A feasibility study conducted in an oncology outpatient clinic.
- Patients were invited to list questions or discussion topics on a proforma prior to their consultation.
- The listed items were reviewed by the attending clinic doctor.
Main Results:
- 88% of approached patients participated in the study.
- Biomedical questions (mean 2.0 per patient) were more frequent than psychosocial questions (mean 0.1 per patient).
- Patient-listed questions provided valuable information on patient understanding and language use.
Conclusions:
- Listing questions before consultations is a feasible intervention for improving doctor-patient communication.
- The predominance of biomedical questions may reflect study design or patient perceptions.
- This simple method offers potential for enhancing the outcome of clinic consultations.