Cargando…

Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters

OBJECTIVE: The paper characterizes outpatient communication in a major cancer hospital in southern China with regard to the structure, style and focus of doctor–patient communication. METHOD: Fifty‐one encounters between doctors and patients were recorded in the outpatient department of the cancer h...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Tu, Jiong, Kang, Ge, Zhong, Jiudi, Cheng, Yu
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6543146/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30957939
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12890
_version_ 1783423047810678784
author Tu, Jiong
Kang, Ge
Zhong, Jiudi
Cheng, Yu
author_facet Tu, Jiong
Kang, Ge
Zhong, Jiudi
Cheng, Yu
author_sort Tu, Jiong
collection PubMed
description OBJECTIVE: The paper characterizes outpatient communication in a major cancer hospital in southern China with regard to the structure, style and focus of doctor–patient communication. METHOD: Fifty‐one encounters between doctors and patients were recorded in the outpatient department of the cancer hospital and analysed inductively to identify patterns of doctor–patient outpatient communication. RESULTS: Outpatient communication in the cancer hospital is characterized by structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during communication. These characteristics suggest an extreme inequality of power between Chinese doctors and patients at the individual level. They are also shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals. DISCUSSION: Measures should be taken at both the interpersonal and institutional level to improve doctor–patient communication. At the micro‐interpersonal level, public education and professional skills training are needed to improve communication and promote mutual understanding between patients and doctors. At the macro‐institutional level, changes are needed in terms of transforming the structural factors that shape doctor–patient communication. CONCLUSIONS: Structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during outpatient encounters present challenges to effective doctor–patient communication. These patterns are shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals and suggest the extreme power imbalance between Chinese doctors and patients.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-6543146
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2019
publisher John Wiley and Sons Inc.
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-65431462019-06-04 Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters Tu, Jiong Kang, Ge Zhong, Jiudi Cheng, Yu Health Expect Original Research Papers OBJECTIVE: The paper characterizes outpatient communication in a major cancer hospital in southern China with regard to the structure, style and focus of doctor–patient communication. METHOD: Fifty‐one encounters between doctors and patients were recorded in the outpatient department of the cancer hospital and analysed inductively to identify patterns of doctor–patient outpatient communication. RESULTS: Outpatient communication in the cancer hospital is characterized by structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during communication. These characteristics suggest an extreme inequality of power between Chinese doctors and patients at the individual level. They are also shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals. DISCUSSION: Measures should be taken at both the interpersonal and institutional level to improve doctor–patient communication. At the micro‐interpersonal level, public education and professional skills training are needed to improve communication and promote mutual understanding between patients and doctors. At the macro‐institutional level, changes are needed in terms of transforming the structural factors that shape doctor–patient communication. CONCLUSIONS: Structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during outpatient encounters present challenges to effective doctor–patient communication. These patterns are shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals and suggest the extreme power imbalance between Chinese doctors and patients. John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2019-04-08 2019-06 /pmc/articles/PMC6543146/ /pubmed/30957939 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12890 Text en © 2019 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Original Research Papers
Tu, Jiong
Kang, Ge
Zhong, Jiudi
Cheng, Yu
Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title_full Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title_fullStr Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title_full_unstemmed Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title_short Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
title_sort outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in china: a qualitative study of doctor–patient encounters
topic Original Research Papers
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6543146/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30957939
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12890
work_keys_str_mv AT tujiong outpatientcommunicationpatternsinacancerhospitalinchinaaqualitativestudyofdoctorpatientencounters
AT kangge outpatientcommunicationpatternsinacancerhospitalinchinaaqualitativestudyofdoctorpatientencounters
AT zhongjiudi outpatientcommunicationpatternsinacancerhospitalinchinaaqualitativestudyofdoctorpatientencounters
AT chengyu outpatientcommunicationpatternsinacancerhospitalinchinaaqualitativestudyofdoctorpatientencounters