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E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Patients prefer the method of "tell back-collaborative inquiry" to assess understanding of medical information
Evelyn C Kemp1, Michael R Floyd, Elizabeth McCord-Duncan
1Department of Family Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614-0621, USA. kempe@etsu.edu
Purpose:
The goal of this study was to determine which approach to assessing understanding of medical information patients most prefer and perceive to be most effective.
Methods:
Two videos were shown to participants: (1) a physician explaining a medical condition and its treatment and (2) a physician inquiring about patient understanding of the medical information the patient had been given using 3 different types of inquiry: Yes-No, Tell Back-Collaborative, and Tell Back-Directive.
Results:
The Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry was significantly preferred over the other 2 approaches.
Conclusions:
Patients strongly prefer the Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry when assessing their understanding. We recommend that physicians ask patients to restate what they understand using their own words and that they use a patient-centered approach.
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