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What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication

Doctor–patient communication is important, but is challenging to study, in part because it is multifaceted. Communication can be considered in terms of both the aspects of the communication itself, and its measurable effects. These effects are themselves varied: they can be proximal or distal, and c...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Cox, Caitríona, Fritz, Zoë
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Oxford University Press 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10464852/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37319157
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-140663
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author Cox, Caitríona
Fritz, Zoë
author_facet Cox, Caitríona
Fritz, Zoë
author_sort Cox, Caitríona
collection PubMed
description Doctor–patient communication is important, but is challenging to study, in part because it is multifaceted. Communication can be considered in terms of both the aspects of the communication itself, and its measurable effects. These effects are themselves varied: they can be proximal or distal, and can focus on subjective measures (how patients feel about communication), or objective measures (exploring more concrete health outcomes or behaviours). The wide range of methodologies available has resulted in a heterogeneous literature which can be difficult to compare and analyse. Here, we provide a conceptual approach to studying doctor–patient communication, examining both variables which can controlled and different outcomes which can be measured. We present methodologies which can be used (questionnaires, semistructured interviews, vignette studies, simulated patient studies and observations of real interactions), with particular emphasis on their respective logistical advantages/disadvantages and scientific merits/limitations. To study doctor–patient communication more effectively, two or more different study designs could be used in combination. We have provided a concise and practically relevant review of the methodologies available to study doctor–patient communication to give researchers an objective view of the toolkit available to them: both to understand current research, and to conduct robust and relevant studies in the future.
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spelling pubmed-104648522023-08-30 What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication Cox, Caitríona Fritz, Zoë Postgrad Med J Education and Learning Doctor–patient communication is important, but is challenging to study, in part because it is multifaceted. Communication can be considered in terms of both the aspects of the communication itself, and its measurable effects. These effects are themselves varied: they can be proximal or distal, and can focus on subjective measures (how patients feel about communication), or objective measures (exploring more concrete health outcomes or behaviours). The wide range of methodologies available has resulted in a heterogeneous literature which can be difficult to compare and analyse. Here, we provide a conceptual approach to studying doctor–patient communication, examining both variables which can controlled and different outcomes which can be measured. We present methodologies which can be used (questionnaires, semistructured interviews, vignette studies, simulated patient studies and observations of real interactions), with particular emphasis on their respective logistical advantages/disadvantages and scientific merits/limitations. To study doctor–patient communication more effectively, two or more different study designs could be used in combination. We have provided a concise and practically relevant review of the methodologies available to study doctor–patient communication to give researchers an objective view of the toolkit available to them: both to understand current research, and to conduct robust and relevant studies in the future. Oxford University Press 2022-01-05 /pmc/articles/PMC10464852/ /pubmed/37319157 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-140663 Text en © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Postgraduate Medical Journal. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Education and Learning
Cox, Caitríona
Fritz, Zoë
What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title_full What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title_fullStr What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title_full_unstemmed What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title_short What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
title_sort what is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? how to approach the study of doctor–patient communication
topic Education and Learning
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10464852/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37319157
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-140663
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