Docs Score Low in Patient
Talks
When it comes to discussing
treatment options with patients, surgeons do a better job than primary-care
doctors, but neither group does
great.
Researchers at the University of
Washington in Seattle based this finding on audio tapes from 1,057
doctor-patient visits involving 3,552 clinical decisions. To determine whether a
patient and doctor were making a well-informed clinical decision, their
discussion had to meet seven criteria. Those included how involved the patient
was in the decision, how well the doctor explained the pros and cons of each
treatment option, and the patient's
preferences.
Only 9 percent of the taped
discussion met the criteria. The biggest shortcoming, researchers report in the
Dec. 22/29 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, was the
patients' understanding of the clinical decision that was ultimately
made.
"Inadequate efforts to foster
patient involvement in decision-making may impair the patient-physician
relationship," researchers conclude. "Furthermore, there are quality-of-care
concerns since there is mounting evidence that inadequate patient involvement
may interfere with patient acceptance of treatment and adherence with medical
regimens."
