Respecting patients is associated with more patient-centered communication behaviors in clinical encounters

Adult Children as Companions in Geriatric Consultations: An Interpersonal Perspective from China

Despite the prevalence of accompanied medical visits all over the world, most literature on triadic medical communication shares an Anglo-American background; little is known about non-dyadic medical interactions in Asian societies such as China. This article explores triadic interactions in Chinese geriatric outpatient consultations, focusing on the interpersonal dynamics between doctors, older patients, and the adult children who accompany them throughout the consultation. From an interpersonal pragmatic approach, we conduct a conversation analysis of the transcription of 36 audio-recorded encounters. Our findings demonstrate three patterns of companions' communicative actions during geriatric visits: enhancing rapport, mitigating face threats, and adding tension. These patterns reveal the multi-faceted nature of adult children's participation in geriatric care, highlighting their capacity to simultaneously facilitate a positive interpersonal atmosphere and pose challenges to their older parents' face. Delving into the nuanced mechanisms through which these patterns of engagement are triggered, warranted, and negotiated by all participants in the local contingencies, we further illuminate the institutional and cultural context that informs companions' intervention. Our analysis demonstrates that the influence of Chinese familial values and institutional constraints in Chinese tertiary hospitals, including restricted time and limited privacy within the clinic room, have shaped the interpersonal dynamic in triadic geriatric care. Our research calls for the development of nuanced and targeted interventions and training for healthcare professionals and companions of older patients alike.

Reflections on 'common' genetic medical history questions: Time to examine the what, why, and how

OBJECTIVE

A central goal of patient-centered care is to establish a therapeutic relationship. While remaining in tune with patient emotions, genetics providers must ask questions to understand medical histories that will inform the differential diagnosis, evaluation plan, and potential treatments.

METHODS

195 audio-recorded conversations between providers and caregivers of pediatric patients with suspected genetic conditions were coded and analyzed. Coders identified sensitive history-taking questions asked by providers related to exposures and complications during pregnancy; ancestry and consanguinity; educational attainment of the caregiver; and family structure.

RESULTS

We highlight examples of providers: using stigmatizing language about conception or consanguinity; not clarifying the intent behind questions related to caregivers' educational attainment and work history; and making presumptions or assumptions about caregivers' race and ethnicity, family structure, and exposures during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Some questions and phrasing considered routine by genetics providers may interfere with patient-centered care by straining attempts to establish a therapeutic, trusting relationship. Additional research is needed to assess how question asking and phrasing impact rapport building and patient experience during genetics encounters.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Review of the purpose and need for medical history questions common to genetics practice could serve to improve patient-centered care.

The Physician-Patient Communication Behaviors Among Medical Specialists in a Hospital Setting

Effective physician-patient communication builds robust physician-patient relationships and reduces medical disputes. However, much is unknown about the differences that exist in the communication behaviors of physicians in different departments. Using a mixed-methods research approach, the researchers used Roter Interaction Analysis System to uncover the communication behaviors of internists, surgeons, family physicians, and emergency physicians at a regional hospital in Taiwan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the communication experiences of 20 physicians from the internal medicine, surgery, family medicine, and emergency departments. The characteristics were presented through descriptive statistics, bar charts, and dendrograms. Physician-patient communications consisted of four dimensions, 10 factors, and 31 behaviors. The characteristics are as follows: (1) Internists need to improve their overall performance in terms of physician-patient communication behaviors; (2) Surgeons performed well in building relationships through non-verbal methods; (3) Family physicians excelled in facilitation and patient activation. (4) Emergency physicians performed well in patient education and counseling. The characteristics of the aforementioned communication behaviors among internists, surgeons, family physicians, and emergency physicians can be used to construct indicators of physician-patient communication in each department and to develop patient-centered healthcare services in the future.

A Qualitative Exploration of Providers' Approaches to Relational Harm Reduction in HIV Primary Care Settings

Background

Structural harm reduction is an approach to care for people who use drugs (PWUD) that incorporates services and resources (e.g., naloxone, sterile syringes). As conceptualized in our previous research, harm reduction is also "relational," encompassing a patient-provider relationship that is non-judgmental and respectful of patients' autonomy. Little is known about providers' knowledge or attitudes towards harm reduction beyond structural strategies, whose availability and legality vary across geographical settings. To operationalize how relational harm reduction is both characterized and employed in HIV care settings, where nearly half of patients have a diagnosed substance use disorder, we qualitatively explored providers' knowledge of and use of harm reduction via individual in-depth interviews.

Methods

Our study sample included three HIV clinics, one in Birmingham, Alabama (AL) and two in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA). We conducted individual interviews with n = 23 providers via Zoom, using a semi-structured interview guide to probe for questions around providers' attitudes towards and experiences with providing care to PWH who use drugs and their knowledge of and attitudes towards relational and structural harm reduction. Data was analyzed in Dedoose using thematic analysis.

Results

Qualitative analyses revealed three primary themes, including Relational Harm Reduction in Practice, Not Harm Reduction, No Knowledge of Harm Reduction, and Harm Reduction Training. Nearly all providers (n = 19, 83%) described a patient interaction or expressed a sentiment that corresponded with the principles of relational harm reduction. Yet, over half of participants (n = 14, 61%) used language to describe PWH who use drugs that was stigmatizing or described an interaction that was antithetical to the principles of relational harm reduction. Five providers, all from Birmingham, were unaware of the term 'harm reduction.' Few providers had any harm reduction training.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that relational harm reduction in HIV care settings is practiced along a continuum, and that a range of behaviors exist even within individual providers (e.g., used stigmatizing terms such as "addict" but also described patient interactions that reflected patients' autonomy). Given that harm reduction is typically described as a structural approach, a broader definition of harm reduction that is not dependent on policy-dependent resources is needed.

Validating computer-generated measures of linguistic style matching and accommodation in patient-clinician communication

OBJECTIVE

To explore the validity of computer-analyzed linguistic style matching (LSM) in patient-clinician communication.

METHODS

Using 330 transcribed HIV patient encounters, we quantified word use with Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a dictionary-based text analysis software. We measured LSM by calculating the degree to which clinicians matched patients in the use of LIWC "function words" (e.g., articles, pronouns). We tested associations of different LSM metrics with patients' perceptions that their clinicians spoke similiarly to them.

RESULTS

We developed 3 measures of LSM: 1) at the whole-visit level; (2) at the turn-by-turn level; and (3) using a "rolling-window" approach, measuring matching between clusters of 8 turns per conversant. None of these measures was associated with patient-rated speech similarity. However, we found that increasing trajectories of LSM, from beginning to end of the visit, were associated with higher patient-rated speech similarity (β 0.35, CI 0.06, 0.64), compared to unchanging trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings point to the potential value of clinicians' adapting their communication style to match their patients, over the course of the visit.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

With further validation, computer-based linguistic analyses may prove an efficient tool for generating data on communication patterns and providing feedback to clinicians in real time.

Experiences of Migrant People Living with HIV in a Multidisciplinary HIV Care Setting with Rapid B/F/TAF Initiation and Cost-Covered Treatment: The ‘ASAP’ Study

This study aimed to explore the experiences of migrant people living with HIV (MLWH) enrolled in a Montreal-based multidisciplinary HIV care clinic with rapid antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation and cost-covered ART. Between February 2020 and March 2022, 32 interviews were conducted with 16 MLWH at three time-points (16 after 1 week of ART initiation, 8 after 24 weeks, 8 after 48 weeks). Interviews were analyzed via the Framework Method. Thirty categories were identified, capturing experiences across the HIV care cascade. At diagnosis, most MLWH described “initially experiencing distress”. At linkage, almost all MLWH discussed “navigating the health system with difficulty”. At treatment initiation, almost all MLWH expressed “being satisfied with treatment”, particularly due to a lack of side effects. Regarding care retention, all MLWH noted “facing psychosocial or health-related challenges beyond HIV”. Regarding ART adherence, most MLWH expressed “being satisfied with treatment” with emphasis on their taking control of HIV. At viral suppression, MLWH mentioned “finding more peace of mind since becoming undetectable”. Regarding their perceived health-related quality of life, most MLWH indicated “being helped by a supportive social network”. Efficient, humanizing, and holistic approaches to care in a multidisciplinary setting, coupled with rapid and free ART initiation, seemed to help alleviate patients’ concerns, address their bio-psycho-social challenges, encourage their initial and sustained engagement with HIV care and treatment, and ultimately contribute to positive experiences.

The meaning of rapport for patients, families, and healthcare professionals: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Rapport is considered fundamental to clinical relationships but is a concept which is rarely defined. This review explores how rapport is defined, characterised, and operationalised in healthcare.

METHODS

A scoping review methodology was used. Data were synthesised using thematic analysis. The review process adhered to the Preferred Reporting System for Meta-Analysis for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

RESULTS

Medline, CINAHL, and psychINFO were searched with thirty-four studies meeting inclusion criteria. Results were presented in two themes: The meanings of rapport and the implications for building rapport.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review found rapport has no commonly shared definition or conceptualisation in the reviewed research. At the same time rapport is operationalised and characterised. Factors that facilitate, and hinder rapport-building were identified. Having a consistently used definition and conceptualisation will benefit the research that is needed into patient and family experiences and outcomes of rapport.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is crucial for health professionals to incorporate simple kind gestures into practice to facilitate rapport. Equally it is necessary for health professionals to review their practice for dismissive, avoiding behaviours that impede rapport-building and consider how they spend their time with patients.

Putting Prognosis First: Impact of an Intensive Care Unit Team Premeeting Curriculum

Background: The paradigm of care has shifted in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) such that patients are frequently cared for by teams of specialists rather than the ICU attending physician solely managing care. An unintended consequence of care managed by multiple specialists is that families often receive conflicting messages from different team members, with little focus on disclosing prognosis.

Objective: To address this gap, we developed and pilot-tested a team communication skills training (CST) program focused on the healthcare team premeeting in which roles, purpose, and prognosis are clarified before meeting with the family. Our aim was to assess whether the team CST program was associated with increased discussion of prognosis during the team premeeting.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, observational pilot study to develop and test a team CST program using a before/after design. Pediatric ICU physicians and specialists from pediatric neurology and pediatric oncology who co-led family conferences in the pediatric ICU participated in a 1-day team CST program. Team premeetings were audio-recorded and transcribed.

Results: We analyzed seven pre- and 10 post-CST program audio-recorded team premeetings, which each compromised a median of eight healthcare team members. Prognosis was more likely to be discussed in post-CST team premeetings (10/10 vs. 3/7; P = 0.0147). Agreement on prognosis was achieved more frequently in post-CST teams compared with pre-CST teams, although the percentage of agreement did not reach significance (9/10 vs. 3/7; P = 0.1007).

Conclusions: A CST program with a structured approach to conducting a team premeeting was associated with an increased discussion of prognosis among team members before convening with the family in the pediatric ICU.

Survey of the Health of Urban Residents: a Community-Driven Assessment of Conditions Salient to the Health of Historically Excluded Populations in the USA

BACKGROUND

Data from the Survey of the Health of Urban Residents (SHUR) identified connections between police brutality and medical mistrust, generating significant media, policy, and research attention. Amidst intersecting crises of COVID-19, racism, and police brutality, this report describes survey development and data collection procedures for the SHUR.

BASIC PROCEDURES

We conducted focus groups with Black men, Latinxs, and immigrants in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Findings were used to develop and refine measures of conditions salient to the health of urban residents across the country. Quota sampling was employed; oversampling people of color and persons whose usual source of care was not a doctor's office.

MAIN FINDINGS

Non-Hispanic Whites made up just under two thirds of the sample (63.65%, n = 2793). Black/African American respondents accounted for 14.2% of the sample (n = 623), while 11.62% (n = 510) were Latinx. Only 43.46% of respondents reported a doctor's office as their usual source of care. Novel measures of population-specific stressors include a range of negative encounters with the police, frequency of these encounters, and respondents' assessments of whether the encounters were necessary. SHUR assessed the likelihood of calling the police if there is a problem, worries about incarceration, and cause-specific stressors such as race-related impression management.

PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS

SHUR (n = 4389) is a useful resource for researchers seeking to address the health implications of experiences not frequently measured by national health surveillance surveys. It includes respondents' zip codes, presenting the opportunity to connect these data with zip code-level health system, social and economic characteristics that shape health beyond individual factors.

Concordance and Patient-Centered Care in Medicaid Enrollees' Care Experience With Providers

Patient-centered care is at the nexus of several overlapping institutional reforms to improve health care system performance. However, we know little regarding Medicaid patients' experience with their doctors along several key dimensions of patient-centered care, and how their experience compares with Medicare and privately insured patients. We studied 4 outcomes using the 2017 National Health Interview Survey: patient-provider concordance on racial/sexual/cultural identity, respectful provider attitude, solicitation of patient opinion/beliefs during the care encounter, and patient-centered communication (PCC). The primary independent variable was Medicaid enrollee status. We dichotomized responses and ran multivariate logistic regressions for each type of care experience outcome, controlling for sociodemographic factors, health care access, and health care utilization of respondents. Compared to Medicare and privately insured enrollees, Medicaid enrollees reported much lower odds of seeing providers who treated them with respect (OR = 1.91, P < .001; OR = 1.62, P < .01) and who offered PCC (OR = 1.35, P < .05; OR = 1.35, P < .01), but similar odds of seeing concordant providers (OR = 0.78, P = .96; OR = 0.96, P = .72). Importantly, Medicaid enrollees reported higher odds of seeing providers who solicited their opinion/beliefs/preferences than their Medicare or privately insured counterparts (OR = 0.82, P < .05; OR = 0.87 P < .10). Medicaid enrollees report less patient-centered experiences in some important facets of their provider interaction than their Medicare or privately insured counterparts. Federal, state, and local policies and practices directed at improving these facets of patient-provider interaction are needed and should be aimed squarely at Medicaid providers, especially those working in geographic areas and settings with a disproportionate number of racial, gender, cultural, and linguistic minorities.

Do GPs use motivational interviewing skills in routine consultations with patients living with mental-physical multimorbidity? An observational study of primary care in Scotland

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether motivational interviewing is used by GPs in consultations with patients living with mental-physical multimorbidity.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of selected videos from an existing database of routine general practice consultations with adult patients in Glasgow, Scotland. Consultations involving patients with mental-physical multimorbidity were selected and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) coding system.

RESULTS

Sixty consultations were coded involving 32 GPs across 16 practices. Mean consultation length was 9.9 min. On average GPs asked 1.7 questions per minute and offered 1.2 pieces of information per minute. Using the MITI, five GPs met beginner proficiency for the relational global qualities of partnership and empathy; however, none of the GPs met beginner proficiency for the technical global rating of efforts made to encourage patients to discuss behaviour change. Simple reflections were observed in 67% of consultations and complex reflections in 28% of consultations. Confrontation, a technique inconsistent with motivational interviewing, was observed in 18% of consultations.

DISCUSSION

MI was not evident in these consultations with patients living with mental-physical multimorbidity. This study provides information about the baseline motivational interviewing-consistent skills of GPs working with multimorbid patients and may be helpful in informing motivational interviewing training efforts and future research.

Patient-centred care in the context of pharmacy consultations: A qualitative study with patients and pharmacists in Malaysia

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Patient-centred care (PCC) has been increasingly recognized as the standard in current health care, especially when it comes to health communication between patients and health care professionals. The evidence suggests that PCC could potentially improve medication-related outcomes such as medication adherence, disease self-management, and patient-provider relationships. Pharmacists are strategically positioned in the health care system to provide medication management to patients. However, there is a paucity of research regarding PCC in pharmacist-patient consultations. This study aimed to explore the views and experiences of pharmacists and patients on the important aspects of a PCC consultation.

METHODS

A semistructured interview study was conducted among 17 patients and 18 pharmacists in three tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Themes were developed using a constant comparison approach and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five main themes emerged from the data, namely, achieving mutual understanding, recognizing individuality, communication style, information giving, and medication decision making. For both pharmacists and patients, a PCC consultation should promote mutual understanding and non-judgmental discussions. Communication was an important element to bridge the gap between patients' and pharmacists' expectations. Patients emphasized the importance of emotional aspects of the consultation, while pharmacists emphasized the importance of evidence-based information to support patient engagement and information needs.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparison of pharmacists' and patients' views provided insight towards important aspects of PCC in pharmacist-patient consultations. It was suggested that PCC is not a one-sided approach but rather a patient-provider collaboration to optimize the consultation. Further research can be done to improve the integration of PCC in the local health care context, including pharmacist consultations.

Twenty-five years of diabetes distress research

The term 'diabetes distress' first entered the psychosocial research vernacular in 1995, and refers to 'the negative emotional or affective experience resulting from the challenge of living with the demands of diabetes'. At first the proponents of the concept were hesitant in advocating that diabetes distress was a major barrier to individuals' self-care and management of diabetes. Since then, a burgeoning body of evidence, now including several systematic reviews of intervention studies, suggests that diabetes distress, in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, across ages and in all countries and cultures where it has been studied, is common and can be a barrier to optimal emotional well-being, self-care and management of diabetes. As a consequence, monitoring diabetes distress as part of routine clinical care is part of many national guidelines. The present narrative review summarizes this research and related literature, to postulate the aetiology of diabetes distress, and thus how it may be prevented. The current evidence base for the management of diabetes distress is summarized, and the next steps in the prevention and management of diabetes distress identified.

Design and psychometric properties of an instrument to assess metacognition in moral reasoning in medicine

AIM

The present study aims at designing and assessing the psychometric properties of MCMR instruments to lead the medical ethics education to further goals and more definite steps.

DESIGN

This is a cross sectional study.

METHOD

This study was conducted in two phases; identifying the items and designing the instrument. In the preliminary phase, the qualitative study was carried out using conventional content analysis method. In the second phase, psychometric evaluation of instrument was done using face and content validity, construct validity and reliability.

RESULTS

On the first phase of this study, 135 items were identified. After determining face and content validity, 111 items reached the stage of exploratory factor analysis. This instrumental analysis indicated the existence of 74 items and ten factors whose variance of the total is explained as 46.883%. Cronbach's alpha value was 0/75. And the intra-cluster correlation coefficient was 0.808.

Understanding patients' satisfaction with physician assistant/associate encounters through communication experiences: a qualitative study in acute hospitals in England

BACKGROUND

Physician assistants/associates (PAs) are a recent innovation in acute hospital teams in England and many other countries worldwide. Although existing evidence indicates generally high levels of patient satisfaction with their PA hospital encounters, little is known about the factors associated with this outcome. There is a lack of evidence on the process of PA-patient communication in hospital encounters and how this might influence satisfaction. This study therefore aimed to understand patients' satisfaction with PA acute hospital encounters through PA-patient communication experiences.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted among patients and representatives of patients seen by or receiving care from one of the PAs working in acute hospital services in England. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken face-to-face with study participants in the hospital setting and shortly after their PA encounter. Data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. The study was framed within a theoretical model of core functions of medical encounter communication.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients and patient representatives who had experienced a PA encounter participated in interviews, across five hospitals in England. Four interrelated communication experiences were important to participants who were satisfied with the encounter in general: feeling trust and confidence in the relationship, sharing relevant and meaningful information, experiencing emotional care and support, and sharing discussion on illness management and treatment. However, many participants misconceived PAs to be doctors, raising a potential risk of reduced trust in the PA relationship and negative implications for satisfaction with their PA encounter. Participants considered it beneficial that patients be informed about the PA role to prevent confusion.

CONCLUSIONS

PA encounters offer a constructive example of successful clinician-patient communication experiences in acute hospital encounters from the patient's perspective. Study participants were generally naïve to the PA role. Hospital services and organisations introducing these mid-level or advanced care practitioner roles should consider giving attention to informing patients about the roles.

Barriers and Facilitators for Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Among HIV-Positive African American and Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men

Some Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV do not take antiretroviral therapy (ART). We conducted semistructured interviews with 84 adult, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino MSM with HIV to understand ART barriers and facilitators. We used chi-square statistics to identify factors associated with ART use (p ≤ .05), and selected illustrative quotes. Over half (51.2%) said they followed their doctor's instructions; however, only 27.4% reported consistently taking ART. Some men delayed ART until overcoming diagnosis denial or becoming very sick. ART use was facilitated by encouragement from others, treatment plans, side effect management, lab test improvements, pill-taking reminders, and convenient care facilities that provide "one-stop shop" services. Men were more likely to take ART when having providers who communicated effectively and were perceived to treat them with respect. Healthcare personnel can use our findings to strengthen services for MSM of color.

Providers and women's perspectives on person-centered maternity care: a mixed methods study in Kenya

Background

Globally, there has been increasing attention to women’s experiences of care and calls for a person-centered care approach. At the heart of this approach is the patient-provider relationship. It is necessary to examine the extent to which providers and women agree on the care that is provided and received. Studies have found that incongruence between women’s and providers’ perceptions may negatively impact women’s compliance, satisfaction, and future use of health facilities. However, there are no studies that examine patient and provider perspectives on person-centered care.

Methods

To fill this gap in the literature, we use cross-sectional data of 531 women and 33 providers in seven government health facilities in Kenya to assess concordance and discordance in person-centered care measures. Additionally, we analyze 41 in-depth interviews with providers from three of these facilities to examine why differences in reporting may occur. Descriptive statistical methods were used to measure the magnitude of differences between reports of women and reports of providers. Thematic analyses were conducted for provider surveys.

Results

Our findings suggest high discordance between women and providers’ perspectives in regard to person-centered care experiences. On average, women reported lower levels of person-centered care compared to providers, including low respectful and dignified care, communication and autonomy, and supportive care. Providers were more likely to report higher rates of poor health facility environment such as having sufficient staff. We summarize the overarching reasons for the divergence in women and provider reports as: 1) different understanding or interpretation of person-centered care behaviors, and 2) different expectations, norms or values of provider behaviors. Providers rationalized abuse towards women, did not allow a companion of choice, and blamed women for poor patient-provider communication. Women lacked assurance in privacy and confidentiality, and faced challenges related to the health facility environment. Providers attributed poor person-centered care to both individual and facility/systemic factors.

Conclusions

Implications of this study suggests that providers should be trained on person-centered care approaches and women should be counseled on understanding patient rights and how to communicate with health professionals.

The influence of the 'good' patient ideal on engagement in HIV care

Research on patient engagement in health care shows that better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs are observed among highly engaged patients. Similar to other illnesses, high levels of patient engagement in HIV care are considered essential to maintaining optimal health, and patients who are on treatment and retained in HIV care are known to have better health outcomes. In this article, we draw on focus group discussion data with patients living with HIV in order to explain tacit expectations associated with engagement in care. The main objective of our research was to elicit an explanatory model of engagement in HIV care from the patients’ perspective. We conducted focus group discussions with a sample of two distinct types of patients: those who regularly attended medical appointments and those who did not. In total, we conducted six focus group discussions (n = 43) across in three cities in the US; these included two focus group discussions with a well-engaged and less-well-engaged group in each location. Both types of patients assigned a moral dimension to engagement in care, in that well-engaged patients were considered to be ‘good’ patients. Aspiring to become a ‘good’ patient provided a meaningful goal for some and deepened vulnerabilities among patients that struggled to achieve this status. More vulnerable patients may feel less secure in health care interactions and these feelings may be amplified if patients have an unreasonable impression of what constitutes a ‘good’ patient; thereby leading to disengagement in care. Our findings can inform the development of patient-centered, tailored messages to better serve patients struggling to stay engaged in HIV care.

Consumer satisfaction with antipsychotic medication-monitoring appointments: the role of consumer-prescriber communication patterns

OBJECTIVE

The study was designed to explore patterns of prescriber communication behaviors as they relate to consumer satisfaction among a serious mental illness sample.

METHODS

Recordings from 175 antipsychotic medication-monitoring appointments between veterans with psychiatric disorders and their prescribers were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) for communication behavioral patterns.

RESULTS

The frequency of prescriber communication behaviors (i.e., facilitation, rapport, procedural, psychosocial, biomedical, and total utterances) did not reliably predict consumer satisfaction. The ratio of prescriber to consumer utterances did predict consumer satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with client-centered care theory, antipsychotic medication consumers were more satisfied with their encounters when their prescriber did not dominate the conversation.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Therefore, one potential recommendation from these findings could be for medication prescribers to spend more of their time listening to, rather than speaking with, their SMI consumers.

Nurses' attitudes and behaviour towards patients' use of complementary therapies: A mixed methods study

AIM

To explore Registered Nurses' attitudes and behaviour towards patients' use of complementary therapies.

BACKGROUND

Despite high rates of use of complementary therapies by the general population, little is known of how nurses respond to patients' use of these therapies.

DESIGN

A two-phase sequential exploratory mixed methods design.

METHODS

Nineteen Registered Nurses working in Australia participated in a semi-structured interview in 2015-2016 and emerging themes informed the development of a quantitative survey instrument administered online nationwide in 2016.

FINDINGS

Emerging key themes "Promoting safe care"; "Seeking complementary therapies knowledge";" Supporting holistic health care"; and "Integrating complementary therapies in practice" were reflected in survey results. Survey responses (N = 614) revealed >90% agreement that complementary therapies align with a holistic view of health and that patients have the right to use them. Most nurses (77.5%) discussed complementary therapies with patients and 91.8% believed nurses should have some understanding of the area. One-third did not recommend complementary therapies and there was a lack of overall consensus as to whether these therapies should be integrated into nursing practice. Nurses with training in complementary therapies held more positive views than those without.

CONCLUSION

Nurses were generally supportive of patients' interest in complementary therapies, although their primary concern was safety of the patient. Despite broad acceptance that nurses should have a basic understanding of complementary therapies, there was a lack of consensus about recommendation, integration into nursing practice and referral. Further research should explore how nurses can maintain safe, patient-centred care in the evolving pluralistic healthcare system.

Providers' Perceptions of Couples' HIV Testing and Counseling (CHTC): Perspectives From a U.S. HIV Epicenter

Current epidemiology demonstrate the significance of couple-based HIV transmission among vulnerable U.S. populations and its contribution to health disparity in HIV prevalence. Couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) can be used to address couple-based HIV risk in the U.S. Though a globally recognized service, the literature lacks U.S.-based healthcare providers' (HCP) perspectives of CHTC. To address this research gap, a qualitative descriptive design was used to ascertain HCPs' perceptions about CHTC. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 HCPs who were experienced with engaging patients or clients across the HIV care continuum. Overall, HCPs supported CHTC among different U.S.

POPULATIONS

Content and thematic analysis revealed HCPs perceived CHTC to be an evolution from current HIV testing approaches and a mechanism to screen people who may not otherwise. CHTC was perceived to have biomedical and bio-behavioral merit that warranted consideration for implementation within health service settings and among populations with heightened HIV risk. This strategy was perceived to be a mechanism for introducing PrEP and conception health into one's practice. CHTC also signaled patients reorienting perceptions of personal health as being linked to the health of another individual. Providers recognized that couples have evolved to be increasingly non-heteronormative and thought that CHTC should be offered to all couples. However, participants also noted that HCPs in the U.S. need to be comfortable with promoting sexual health among various populations for implementation of CHTC to be successful.

Racial disparities in refusal of stroke thrombolysis in Chicago

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate race differences in tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) refusal among eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in Chicago.

METHODS

Using the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry data from 15 primary stroke centers between January 2013 and June 2015, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients with AIS presenting to the emergency department within 4.5 hours from symptom onset. Patient or proxy refusal was captured as a reason for nonadministration of tPA to eligible patients in the registry. We assessed whether tPA refusal differed by race using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 704 tPA-eligible patients with AIS, tPA was administered to 86.2% (black race, 82.5% vs nonblack race, 89.5%; p < 0.001). Fifty-three (7.5%) tPA refusals were documented. Refusal was more common in black vs nonblack patients (10.6% vs 4.8%; p = 0.004). In multivariable analysis, the following were associated with tPA refusal: black race (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-4.6), self-pay status (adjusted OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.2-8.71), prior stroke (adjusted OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.14-3.90), age (adjusted OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07), and NIH Stroke Scale score (adjusted OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Among tPA-eligible patients with AIS in Chicago, over 7% refused tPA. Refusal was more common in black patients and accounted for the apparent lower rates of tPA use in black vs nonblack patients. Further research is needed to understand barriers to consent and overcome race-ethnic disparities in tPA treatment for AIS.

Experiences and expectations of patients living with HIV on their engagement with care in Western Kenya

PURPOSE

In resource-limited HIV care settings, effective and innovative interventions that respond to the existing challenges along the HIV care continuum are urgently needed to realize the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Initiating effective ART adherence dialog in an environment that promotes patient engagement in care is key. It is therefore critical to enhance our understanding about how patients living with HIV in these regions conceptualize and experience patient engagement. This study explores HIV patients' perceptions, experiences and expectations of their engagement in care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We sampled 86 patients from three Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATHplus) sites, one urban and two rural. We conducted 24 in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions in either Swahili or English. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed, and then translated into English. We performed content analysis after thematic coding.

RESULTS

Patients living with HIV in Kenya desire active engagement with care. However, their engagement was inconsistent and varied depending on the provider. Patients had a sense of how provider's interpersonal behaviors influenced their level of engagement. These included various aspects of provider-patient communication and relationship dynamics. Patients also highlighted relational boundaries that influenced the level and kind of information they shared with their providers. Aspects of their psychological, social or economic wellbeing were often viewed as personal and not discussed with their clinicians. Patients identified factors that would promote or impede their engagement with care including those related to patients themselves, providers, and the healthcare system.

CONCLUSION

Patients living with HIV desired more active engagement in their care. In addition, they desired clinicians to engage in more social behaviors to promote patient engagement. To address existing patient engagement barriers, HIV care systems in the region should apply contextualized patient-centered interventions.

Health care provider communication training in rural Tanzania empowers HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy to discuss adherence problems

OBJECTIVES

Self-reported adherence assessment in HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is challenging and may overestimate adherence. The aim of this study was to improve the ability of health care providers to elicit patients' reports of nonadherence using a "patient-centred" approach in a rural sub-Saharan African setting.

METHODS

A prospective interventional cohort study of HIV-infected patients on ART for ≥ 6 months attending an HIV clinic in rural Tanzania was carried out. The intervention consisted of a 2-day workshop for health care providers on patient-centred communication and the provision of an adherence assessment checklist for use in the consultations. Patients' self-reports of nonadherence (≥ 1 missed ART dose/4 weeks), subtherapeutic plasma ART concentrations (< 2.5th percentile of published population-based pharmacokinetic models), and virological and immunological failure according to the World Health Organization definition were assessed before and after (1-3 and 6-9 months after) the intervention.

RESULTS

Before the intervention, only 3.3% of 299 patients included in the study reported nonadherence. Subtherapeutic plasma ART drug concentrations and virological and immunological failure were recorded in 6.5%, 7.7% and 14.5% of the patients, respectively. Two months after the intervention, health care providers detected significantly more patients reporting nonadherence compared with baseline (10.7 vs. 3.3%, respectively; P < 0.001), decreasing to 5.7% after 6-9 months. A time trend towards higher drug concentrations was observed for efavirenz but not for other drugs. The virological failure rate remained unchanged whereas the immunological failure rate decreased from 14.4 to 8.7% at the last visit (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-centred communication can successfully be implemented with a simple intervention in rural Africa. It increases the likelihood of HIV-infected patients reporting problems with adherence to ART; however, sustainability remains a challenge.

Communication predictors and consequences of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) discussions in oncology visits

OBJECTIVE

Cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), but do not routinely talk about it with their clinicians. This study describes CAM discussions in oncology visits, the communication patterns that facilitate these discussions and their association with visit satisfaction.

METHODS

327 patients (58% female; average age 61) and 37 clinicians were recorded during an oncology visit and completed post-visit questionnaires. All CAM discussions were tagged and the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) was used to code visit dialogue.

RESULTS

CAM was discussed in 36 of 327 visits; discussions were brief (

CONCLUSIONS

CAM discussions do not occur at random; they take place in visits characterized by patient-centered communication and are associated with higher visit satisfaction.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

CAM discussions are perceived positively by both patients and clinicians and are facilitated by patient-centered visit communication.

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Key Words

• Clinician satisfaction
• Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
• Patient satisfaction
• Patient-physician communication
• Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS)

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MESH Headings

• Adult
• Aged
• Attitude of Health Personnel
• Communication
• Complementary Therapies
• Female
• Health Care Surveys
• Humans
• Male
• Medical Oncology
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms/therapy
• Office Visits
• Oncologists/psychology
• Patient Satisfaction
• Physician-Patient Relations
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Tape Recording

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Grants

• R01 AT006515 NCCIH NIH HHS
• UL1 TR000135 NCATS NIH HHS

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Affiliation(s)

Debra L Roter Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Kathleen J Yost Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Thomas O'Byrne Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Megan Branda Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Aaron Leppin Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Brittany Kimball Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Cara Fernandez Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Aminah Jatoi Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Ashok Kumbamu Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Victor Montori Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Barbara Koenig University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Gail Geller Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Susan Larson Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Jon Tilburt Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

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Parent Satisfaction With Communication Is Associated With Physician's Patient-Centered Communication Patterns During Family Conferences

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the association between physician's patient-centered communication patterns and parental satisfaction during decision-making family conferences in the PICU.

DESIGN

Single-site, cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Forty-four-bed PICUs in a free-standing children's hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-seven English-speaking parents of 39 children who participated in an audiorecorded family conference with 11 critical care attending physicians.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Thirty-nine family conferences were audiorecorded. Sixty-seven of 77 (92%) eligible parents were enrolled. The conference recordings were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System and a Roter Interaction Analysis System-based patient-centeredness score, which quantitatively evaluates the conversations for physician verbal dominance and discussion of psychosocial elements, such as a family's goals and preferences. Higher patient-centeredness scores reflect higher proportionate dialogue focused on psychosocial, lifestyle, and socioemotional topics relative to medically focused talk. Parents completed satisfaction surveys within 24 hours of the conference. Conferences averaged 45 minutes in length (SD, 19 min), during which the medical team contributed 73% of the dialogue compared with parental contribution of 27%. Physicians dominated the medical team, contributing 89% of the team contribution to the dialogue. The majority of physician speech was medically focused (79%). A patient-centeredness score more than 0.75 predicted parental satisfaction (β = 12.05; p < 0.0001), controlling for the length of conference, child severity of illness, parent race, and socioeconomic status. Parent satisfaction was negatively influenced by severity of illness of the patient (β = -4.34; p = 0.0003), controlling for previously mentioned factors in the model.

CONCLUSIONS

Parent-physician interactions with more patient-centered elements, such as increased proportions of empathetic statements, question asking, and emotional talk, positively influence parent satisfaction despite the child's severity of illness.