Abstract
The efficiency of communication between junior hospital doctors and 77 general surgical patients was assessed by using standardized questionnaires before and after the doctor/patient interview on both the patient and the house doctor. Patients were better informed about their illness than their surgery, and doctors wrongly estimated patients' knowledge in 41% of cases. Self-reported preoperative anxiety of patients was low and was estimated wrongly by house doctors in 58% of cases. In 52% of cases house doctors were considered by patients to be the most important source of information, but patients had little comprehension of the seniority of other doctors. Although 60% of patients were satisfied with the communication, the majority complained of lack of information concerning convalescence, postoperative pain and routine ward procedures.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Francis V., Korsch B. M., Morris M. J. Gaps in doctor-patient communication. Patients' response to medical advice. N Engl J Med. 1969 Mar 6;280(10):535–540. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196903062801004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johnson J. E., Dabbs J. M., Jr, Leventhal H. Psychosocial factors in the welfare of surgical patients. Nurs Res. 1970 Jan-Feb;19(1):18–29. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maddison D. C. What's wrong with medical education? Med Educ. 1978 Mar;12(2):97–106. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1978.tb00642.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maguire P., Roe P., Goldberg D., Jones S., Hyde C., O'Dowd T. The value of feedback in teaching interviewing skills to medical students. Psychol Med. 1978 Nov;8(4):695–704. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700018894. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McKinlay J. B. Who is really ignorant--physician or patient? J Health Soc Behav. 1975 Mar;16(1):3–11. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PRATT L., SELIGMANN A., READER G. Physicians' views on the level of medical information among patients. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1957 Oct;47(10):1277–1283. doi: 10.2105/ajph.47.10.1277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pellegrino E. D. Editorial: Medical ethics, education, and the physician's image. JAMA. 1976 Mar 8;235(10):1043–1044. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Reading A. E. The short term effects of psychological preparation for surgery. Soc Sci Med Med Psychol Med Sociol. 1979 Nov;13A(6):641–654. doi: 10.1016/0271-7123(79)90109-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rockwell D. A., Peitone-Rockwell F. The emotional impact of surgery and the value of informed consent. Med Clin North Am. 1979 Nov;63(6):1341–1351. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(16)31646-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schmitt F. E., Wooldridge P. J. Psychological preparation of surgical patients. Nurs Res. 1973 Mar-Apr;22(2):108–116. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]