[On informing patients: a study of doctor-surgical patient interaction (author's transl)]

Test questions were given to almost 500 patients at regular intervals after their condition and surgical treatment had been discussed with them. Only 18% were able to reproduce the contents of the discussion, while 49% knew merely that the operation had been necessary and carried some danger. The remainder had no recollection of the content of the doctor's information. Because of these results, the technique of information giving was exactly analysed in 50 cases, both the doctor and the patient being given the same set of questions. Both doctor and patient in general took it as a matter of course that the other one had the same opinions; but this was frequently not the case. Patients who more than others stressed their physical complaints had a significantly higher rate of difference between the answers by the doctor and that by the patient. The study demonstrates that the technique of information giving needs to be more defined so that the patient both understands and accepts the information given. Thise can only be done in a talk in which the doctor can assess the patient's response and modify his explanations.