Concordance in communication between surgeon and patient

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Oncology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Assessing clinician-patient interactions is crucial in cancer care.
• Interactive voice response (IVR) technology offers a novel method for data collection.
• Understanding patient-surgeon concordance is vital for effective treatment decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of IVR systems in clinical research for assessing clinician-patient interactions.
• To determine the level of agreement between breast cancer surgeons and their patients regarding treatment discussions.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive comparison study was conducted using IVR technology.
• Twenty-six surgeon-patient dyads with newly diagnosed breast cancer participated.
• Concordance was measured using parallel patient and surgeon questionnaires.

Main Results:

• High concordance (54-100%) was observed regarding treatment preferences, choices, and discussion time.
• Lower concordance (27-50%) was found concerning patient understanding of lymph-node removal and psychosocial aspects.
• Surgeons often underestimated patient understanding of psychosocial issues and discussion thoroughness.

Conclusions:

• IVR technology is a viable tool for studying clinician-patient interactions in clinical research.
• While agreement exists on treatment, significant discordance persists regarding patient understanding of psychosocial elements.
• Addressing these discrepancies is essential for improving patient-centered cancer care.