Spontaneous mental associations with the words "side effect": Implications for informed and shared decision making
Sonya Izadi1, Thorsten Pachur2, Courtney Wheeler1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA.
Patient Education and Counseling
|June 7, 2017
Summary
Laypeople associate "side effects" with health problems and negative emotions, influencing medical decisions. Understanding these perceptions is key for healthcare providers to improve shared decision-making processes.
Area of Science:
- Health Psychology
- Patient Decision Making
- Medical Communication
Background:
- Understanding patient perceptions of medical terms is crucial for effective communication.
- The term "side effect" can significantly influence patient choices and experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore spontaneous layperson associations with the term "side effect."
- To gain insight into how these associations impact patients' medical decisions.
Main Methods:
- Online cross-sectional survey of 144 women aged 40-74.
- Participants were asked for their first three spontaneous thoughts on "side effect."
- Content analysis, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests were used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Common themes included Health Problems (70.8%), Decision-Relevant Evaluations (52.8%), and Negative Affect (30.6%).
- The most frequent codes were Risk (36.1%), Specific Symptoms (35.4%), General Health Problems (32.6%), and Strong Negative Affect (19.4%).
- Frequencies were consistent across demographic groups.
Conclusions:
- The term "side effect" primarily evokes thoughts of health problems and negative emotions.
- These associations may explain why the possibility of side effects triggers negative affect during medical decision-making.
- Acknowledging these perceptions is a vital step for healthcare providers to enhance informed and shared patient decision-making.
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