Defining diagnostic disclosure in the acute care setting: A concept analysis.

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Patient Self-Management
• Healthcare Definitions

Background:

• Patient unawareness of diagnoses hinders effective self-management.
• Diagnostic disclosure literature is sparse, particularly in acute care settings.
• Establishing a clear definition is crucial for understanding its impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop conceptual and operational definitions of diagnostic disclosure.
• To specifically address diagnostic disclosure within the acute care context.

Main Methods:

• Employed the Walker and Avant eight-step concept analysis approach.
• Conducted a systematic literature search across four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE).
• Included 37 articles published between 1994 and 2025 focusing on adult acute care settings.

Main Results:

• No prior articles provided a definition for diagnostic disclosure.
• Defined diagnostic disclosure as the clinician's process of naming and explaining a patient's diagnosis.
• Introduced 'fullness' of diagnostic content (naming and explaining) as a measure, with antecedents and consequences identified.

Conclusions:

• The proposed definitions advance understanding and have practice/research implications.
• Diagnostic disclosure is vital for patient-centered care, improving communication and self-care.
• Future research should test operational definitions and evaluate patient outcomes.