MedWorm: Patient Communication

Well Blog: Doctor and Patient: What Body Language Says About Doctors

NYT Health — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:01:27 +0100

Subtle gestures, body positions, eye contact, touch and expressions that pass between individuals is as critical a part of doctor-patient communication as verbal expression, new research shows. (Source: NYT Health)

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The pitfalls of email communication with patients

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:59:06 +0100

Source: Robert Sadaty, KevinMD Content: “A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reviewed the emerging role of email in healthcare, arguing that doctors should more aggressively offer their patients the option to communicate with each other through email. Unlike other professionals in the United States, doctors have generally resisted the adoption of email into [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

The Clinical Spectrum of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in a Large Urban Population

Current Rheumatology Reports — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:16:19 +0100

Abstract Urban populations present particular challenges for medical providers. Patients are extremely diverse, with varied socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Physicians caring for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis must be prepared to interact effectively with many types of families who bring with them varied experiences and expectations. Pediatric rheumatologists should be familiar with patient characteristics that can influence disease outcomes. Access to care is affected by place of residence, referral delays, parental education, and the child’s insurance status. Patients of different ethnic backgrounds vary in their trust of physicians and health systems. Understanding of risk in medical decision making is influenced by ethnicity as well. Adhe...

Decoding Brain Waves Could Lead To Communication With Patients Unable To Speak

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Neuroscientists may one day be able to eavesdrop on the constant, internal monologs that run through our minds, or hear the imagined speech of a stroke or a locked-in patient with inability to speak, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. The work, conducted in the labs of Robert Knight at Berkeley and Edward Chang at UCSF, is reported in the open-access journal PLoS Biology. The report will be accompanied by an interview with the authors for the PLoS Biology Podcast... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Patient-Centered Care Model Demands Better Physician-Patient Communication [Medical News & Perspectives]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Researchers analyze doctor-patient email interactions

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:46:42 +0100

Source: MedicalXpress Content: “Many working professionals wouldn’t want to imagine what their job would be like without email. However, many physicians go about their profession with little or no email communication with patients. A new study by two University of Kansas professors examines email communications between doctors and patients in a primary care setting, finding [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Very good experiences don't just happen for patients

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Lifespan) A new training program for emergency department staff at Rhode Island Hospital teaches communication skills by having staff take part in simulations of real patient experiences. The goal is to improve the patient experience by standardizing both team and patient communication in an emergency department setting. The program will be presented at the 12th Annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare in San Diego, Calif. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Has Diversity Increased in Orthopaedic Residency Programs since 1995?

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the increase in diversity in the orthopaedic workforce during the past 15 years, ethnic and gender disparities persist among orthopaedic residency programs regarding residents, clinical faculty, and basic research faculty. To increase diversity in orthopaedic residency programs, an emphasis on recruiting ethnic and gender minority candidates needs to become a priority in the orthopaedic academic community. PMID: 22286669 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research)

Reminders [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Nurses’ perceptions of communication training in the ICU

Intensive and Critical Care Nursing — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:22:30 +0100

Conclusions: The results suggest that the communication skills training programme could be valuable in reinforcing basic/intuitive communication strategies, assisting in the acquisition of new skills and ensuring communication supply availability. Practice integration will most likely require unit-wide interdisciplinary dissemination, expert modelling and reinforcement. (Source: Intensive and Critical Care Nursing)

The Changing Scenario in Oncologist-Patient Communication: We Need to Adapt

Cancer Network — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Of all diseases, cancer probably elicits the strongest emotional reaction, and this is even more true if one is an affected patient. (Source: Cancer Network)

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Controversies in Oncologist-Patient Communication: A Nuanced Approach to Autonomy, Culture, and Paternalism

Cancer Network — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

This article addresses some of the most common major challenges in oncologist-patient communication with a nuanced approach to the concepts of autonomy, paternalism, and culture. (Source: Cancer Network)

Better, Together: Care Partners Program

DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:06:44 +0100

An outpatient case management intervention known as Care Partners is a collaboration between Duke University Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital, Duke HomeCare & Hospice, Durham Community Health Network, and various community-based health care agencies. The goal of the Care Partners program is to enhance the focus and care of patients with chronic diseases. The program uses a patient-centered model to help empower patients to optimize their health, gain further understanding of their chronic disease, and to have timely access to appropriate services and providers, enhancing their ability to manage their care outside of the acute or emergency department setting. In this model, patients are joined with a “care partner” who is supported by an oversight team of individuals represent...

Student Ambassador Program: Improving the Patient Experience

DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:58:10 +0100

Durham Regional Hospital's new Student Ambassador Program, which started in summer 2010, enlists the help of local university students to serve as patient experience ambassadors in the Emergency Department (ED) and Perioperative Services -- all in an effort to help improve the patient experience. “Our ambassadors have fulfilled a critical role in improving our customer service and communication with patients,” says Bianca Briola, director of Nursing Business Operations and Patient Experience. “The Ambassador Program, in conjunction with other initiatives, has allowed the DRH Emergency Department to achieve the highest patient satisfaction scores in its history, and two consecutive quarters exceeding the 75th percentile in its peer group.” The ambassadors perform a number of functio...

Tucson Chiropractor launches new website for enhanced patient communication

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:01:58 +0100

Carrion Chiropractic Clinic in Tucson announced the launch of a new website, http://www.carrionchiropractic.net. The practice's website was redesigned to enhance patient communications and expand access to pain management information. The practice provides non-surgical pain management for neuro-musculoskeletal disorders of the spine and extremities with a special focus on helping patients heal following car accidents. The new website includes wellness articles, a chiropractor blog, 3D spine simulator and other educational resources for patients. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Can achievement goal theory provide a useful motivational perspective for explaining psychosocial attributes of medical students?

BMC Medical Education — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Psychosocial competence and frustration tolerance are important characteristics of skilled medical professionals. In the present study we explored the usefulness of applying a comprehensive motivational theory (Goal orientations), for this purpose. According to goal orientation theory, learning motivation is defined as the general goals students pursue during learning (either mastery goals - gaining new knowledge; or performance goals - gaining a positive evaluation of competence or avoiding negative evaluation). Perceived psychosocial abilities are a desirable outcome, and low frustration tolerance (LFT), is a negative feature of student behavior. The hypothesis was that the mastery goal would be positively associated with psychosocial abilities while performance goals would b...

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Patient-Centered Medical Home Characteristics and Staff Morale in Safety Net Clinics [Original Investigation]

Archives of Internal Medicine — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Providers and staff who perceived more PCMH characteristics in their clinics were more likely to have higher morale, but the providers had less freedom from burnout. Among the PCMH subscales, the quality improvement subscale score particularly correlated with higher morale, greater job satisfaction, and freedom from burnout. (Source: Archives of Internal Medicine)

A systematic review of the associations between empathy measures and patient outcomes in cancer care

Psycho-Oncology — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionOverall, clinicians' empathy has beneficial effects according to patient perceptions. However, in order to disentangle components of the benefits of empathy and provide professionals with concrete advice, future research should apply different empathy assessment approaches simultaneously, including a perspective‐taking task on patients' expectations and needs at precise moments. Indeed, clinicians' understanding of patients' perspectives is the core component of medical empathy, but it is often assessed only from the patient's point of view. Clinicians' evaluations of patients' perspectives should be studied and compared with patients' reports so that problematic gaps between the two perspectives can be addressed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Psycho-On...

More Than Just an Oncogene Translocation and a Kinase Inhibitor: Kevin's Story [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

The Dynamics of Visual Art Dialogues: Experiences to Be Used in Hospital Settings with Visual Art Enrichment

Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:52:09 +0100

Conclusion. The present study supported the view that visual art dialogue could be used by health care professionals in a structured manner and that meaningful art stimulation, related to a person’s experiences, could be of importance for the patients. Implementing art dialogues in hospital settings could be a fruitful working tool for nurses, a complementary manner of patient communication. (Source: Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Assessing Dermatologists' Ability to Deliver a Novel Intervention to Improve Patients' Use of Sun Protection: The ABC Method of Physician-Patient Communication [Research Letters]

Archives of Dermatology — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Archives of Dermatology)

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"Doc, Please Don't Tell My Wife..." [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Patient-perceived usefulness and practical obstacles of patient-held records for cancer patients in Japan: OPTIM study.

Palliative Medicine — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The PHR can be helpful in facilitating communication, understanding medical conditions and treatments, and facilitating end-of-life care discussion; however, for wide-spread implementation, resolving the obstacles related to both patients and health-care professionals is required. PMID: 22179597 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Palliative Medicine)

[Psychosocial Predictors of Utilization of Medical Rehabilitation Services among Prostate Cancer Patients.]

Die Rehabilitation — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Lehmann C, Beierlein V, Hagen-Aukamp C, Kerschgens C, Rhee M, Frühauf S, Otto J, Graefen M, Krüll A, Berger D, Koch U, Bergelt C Abstract Prostate cancer patients often suffer from treatment-associated morbidities which lead to severe physical and mental impairments. Nevertheless, only a relatively small percentage of this patient population uses medical rehabilitation services; there is still a lack of evidence concerning possible factors causing use and non-use of services. Therefore, this study exploratively aims at the identification of predictors of the use of rehabilitation services in a cohort of prostate cancer patients.In a prospective multicentre study to evaluate outpatient oncological rehabilitation services, n=242 prostate cancer patients who used outpatient...

Identifying context factors explaining physician's low performance in communication assessment: an explorative study in general practice

BMC Family Practice — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Several context factors seem to influence doctor-patient communication, requiring the GP to apply communication skills differently from recommendations on communication. From this study we conclude that there is a need to explicitly account for context factors in the assessment of GP (and GP registrar) communication performance. The next step is to validate our findings. (Source: BMC Family Practice)

Employee to employer communication skills: balancing cancer treatment and employment

Psycho-Oncology — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionOur data provides promising preliminary evidence that patient communication skills training can be applied to the workplace setting and is a welcomed aid to newly diagnosed cancer patients in their discussions with employers regarding the impact of treatment on their work performance and needs for accommodations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Psycho-Oncology)

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JACR: Direct communication with patients presents golden opportunity

Health Imaging News — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:01:52 +0100

As patient access to imaging data increases with the adoption of online patient portals, direct communication of study results to patients could provide an opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and reassert the importance of the physician-patient relationship in radiology, according to an article published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Interventions to Improve Patient‐centered Care During Times of Emergency Department Crowding

Academic Emergency Medicine — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This article is the result of a breakout session of the 2011 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference “Interventions to Assure Quality in the Crowded Emergency Department” and focuses on three broad domains of patient‐centered care: patient satisfaction, patient involvement, and care related to patient needs.The working group provided background information and an overview of interventions that have been conducted in the domains of patient satisfaction, patient involvement (patients’ preferences and values in decision‐making), and patient needs (e.g., comfort, information, education). Participants in the breakout session discussed interventions reported in the medical literature as well as initiated at their institutions, discussed the effect of crowding on patient‐cent...

Interventions to Improve Patient-centered Care During Times of Emergency Department Crowding.

Accident and Emergency Nursing — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This article is the result of a breakout session of the 2011 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference "Interventions to Assure Quality in the Crowded Emergency Department" and focuses on three broad domains of patient-centered care: patient satisfaction, patient involvement, and care related to patient needs.The working group provided background information and an overview of interventions that have been conducted in the domains of patient satisfaction, patient involvement (patients' preferences and values in decision-making), and patient needs (e.g., comfort, information, education). Participants in the breakout session discussed interventions reported in the medical literature as well as initiated at their institutions, discussed the effect of crowding on patient-centered care, a...

Update in Palliative Care - 2011

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:21:31 +0100

We presented 20 at the annual SGIM update session, and discuss 11 in this paper. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ReviewsPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1929-9Authors Patricia F. Harris, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2020 Zonal Avenue, IRD 310, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USARobert M. Arnold, Institute for Doctor-Patient Communication Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USAUrsula K. Braun, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USAErik Fromme, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USARahwa Ghermay, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USAStephanie Harman, Department of Medicine, Stanford Un...

Use of prescription drug samples and patient assistance programs, and the role of doctor-patient communication

NeLM - Care of Older People — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Source: Journal of General Internal Medicine Area: Evidence > Medicines Management > References Background: Cost-related underuse of medications is common among older adults, in the USA who seldom discuss medication costs with their physicians. Some older adults may use free drug samples or industry-sponsored patient assistance programmes (PAP) in hopes of lowering out-of-pocket costs, although the long-term effect of these programmes on drug spending is unclear. Objectives: To examine older adults' use of industry-sponsored strategies to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and the association between doctor-patient communication and use of these programmes. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of a 2006 nationally representative survey of US Medicare beneficiaries. Participan...

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Use of picture communication AIDS to assess pain location in pediatric postoperative patients.

Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:32:00 +0100

Authors: Mesko PJ, Eliades AB, Christ-Libertin C, Shelestak D Abstract Children undergoing surgical procedures may have difficulty communicating. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) picture communication may provide a standard communication strategy for postoperative children and facilitate nurse-patient communication. The study purposes were to (1) determine if inconsistency exists between nurse assessments of pain location versus identification of pain location using AAC picture communication aids and (2) determine parent satisfaction with use of AAC picture communication aids. A convenience sample of patients aged 3 to 9 years were recruited in a Midwestern freestanding pediatric hospital's postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The patient's pain location was assessed us...

Reliability and validity of a self‐efficacy instrument for hepatitis C antiviral treatment regimens

Journal of Viral Hepatitis — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Summary. Self‐efficacy or confidence in one’s ability to successfully engage in goal‐directed behaviour has been shown to influence medication adherence across many chronic illnesses. In the present study, we investigated the psychometric properties of a self‐efficacy instrument used during treatment for chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV). Baseline (n = 394) and treatment week 24 (n = 254) data from the prospective, longitudinal Viral Resistance to Antiviral Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C study were examined. Baseline participants were randomly split into two equal‐sized subsamples (S1 and S2). Initial exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) were performed on S1, while S2 was used to validate the factor structure of the S1 results using CFA. An ad...

Activating Community Health Center Patients in Developing Question-Formulation Skills: A Qualitative Study

Health Education — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The authors developed and delivered a brief patient activation intervention (PAI) that sought to facilitate physician–patient communication. The intervention was designed to assist low-income, racial/ethnic minority users of community health centers in building skills and confidence asking questions. The PAI takes 8 to 10 minutes to deliver and consists of five steps that can be carried out by individuals with minimal formal medical training. A total of 252 patients waiting to see their physician participated in the intervention and completed the follow-up semistructured interview after their health care visit. The authors describe the intervention and the results of their qualitative evaluation of patient’s responses. Overall, the PAI was valued by patients, appeared to add to...

The Sad Smile [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Physician‐patient communication regarding colorectal cancer screening is lacking

CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians)

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Hypertension and Antihypertensive Therapy in Hispanics and Mexican Americans Living in the United States

Postgraduate Medicine Online — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:04:52 +0100

This article provides an up-to-date summary of epidemiological and treatment aspects of high blood pressure in the US Hispanic population. Because Mexican Americans constitute approximately 66% of US Hispanics, data sources that focus on Mexican Americans are also discussed. Keywords: Hispanics; Mexican Americans; hypertension; epidemiology; treatment; cardiovascular diseases read more (Source: Postgraduate Medicine Online)

[Doctor-patient communication: one of the basic competencies, but different.]

Atencion Primaria — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This article describes how communication is different from the other skills that medical students and residents need to learn, how this affects teaching and learning, and the application of these ideas in a Chilean medical school. We describe the premises that need to be taken into consideration when planning teaching communication in medicine and illustrate how these affected the development of our teaching of communication in our undergraduate curriculum. All medical education programmes should include formal teaching on the doctor-patient relationship, but must take into consideration the aspects of communication teaching that make it different from teaching other aspects of medicine. PMID: 22079197 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Atencion Primaria)

Effects of between visit physician-patient communication on Diabetes Recognition Program scores

International Journal for Quality in Health Care — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The use of secure messaging, and, to a lesser extent, phone, appears to be associated with higher quality diabetes care, particularly among at-risk populations. (Source: International Journal for Quality in Health Care)

Validation of implant stability: A measure of implant permanence

Table of Contents : Indian Journal of Dental Research : 2006 - 17(3) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Neha Mall, B Dhanasekar, IN AparnaIndian Journal of Dental Research 2011 22(3):462-467Implant stability is a requisite characteristic of osseointegration. Without it, long-term success cannot be achieved. Continuous monitoring in a quantitative and objective manner is important to determine the status of implant stability. Measurement of implant stability is a valuable tool for making decisions pertaining to treatment protocol and also improves dentist-patient communication. Owing to the invasive nature of histological analysis, various others methods have been proposed like radiographs, cutting torque resistance, reverse torque, modal analysis, resonance frequency analysis and Implatest® . This review focuses on objectives and various methods to evaluate implant stability. (So...

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Use of Picture Communication Aids to Assess Pain Location in Pediatric Postoperative Patients

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Children undergoing surgical procedures may have difficulty communicating. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) picture communication may provide a standard communication strategy for postoperative children and facilitate nurse-patient communication. The study purposes were to (1) determine if inconsistency exists between nurse assessments of pain location versus identification of pain location using AAC picture communication aids and (2) determine parent satisfaction with use of AAC picture communication aids. A convenience sample of patients aged 3 to 9 years were recruited in a Midwestern freestanding pediatric hospital’s postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The patient’s pain location was assessed using an AAC picture communication aid and compared with the PACU nurses’ p...

Diagnosis and Treatment of Low‐Back Pain Because of Paraspinous Muscle Spasm: A Physician Roundtable

Pain Medicine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Early, active management of acute low‐back symptoms during the initial onset may lead to better patient outcomes, reducing related pain and disability and, possibly, preventing progression to chronicity. (Source: Pain Medicine)

Initiation of insulin for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: what are the issues? A qualitative study.

Singapore Medical Journal — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Our findings highlight that insulin initiation is affected by the complex interaction between the patients and HCPs, and other system factors. Patients may harbour misconceptions about insulin due to the late introduction of insulin therapy by HCPs or the way the therapy is being communicated to them. The key issues to address are the disparity in perceptions of diabetic control between HCPs and patients, and education regarding the need for insulin therapy. PMID: 22173249 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Singapore Medical Journal)

In tune with power of music to heal

The Irish Times - Health — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:41:46 +0100

Music can be used to open up channels of communication with patients disturbed by a range of conditions, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON (Source: The Irish Times - Health)

Aperio Increases Momentum in Response to Global Interest in Digital Pathology

Aperio Technologies | Press Releases — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Digital Pathology Leader Doubles Size of Product Development and Sales Teams, Expands Globally Vista, CA – October 31, 2011 - Aperio, the global leader in providing digital pathology solutions that improve patient care, is realizing a pronounced increase in demand for its digital pathology solutions as a result of offering an increased breadth of products designed to help pathologists be more effective, including: Clinical workflow software for applications that include internal, external and intra-operative consultations, archival and retrieval, quantification of breast tissue biomarkers, tumor board preparation, and patient communication and education. The ScanScope® AT slide scanning instrument, configurable from 40 to 400 slides, which provide...

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Could better substance abuse screening during doctor visits reduce underage drinking?

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:08:12 +0100

In today’s busy medical environment, doctors are asked to do a lot in a short amount of time. The average well visit clocks in at somewhere around 12 minutes these days, which means pediatricians need to screen children for several potential problems in a very finite amount of time. Because of these time restrictions there simply isn’t enough time to do all the screenings recommended as part of general health care. One area that often gets overlooked is substance abuse among adolescent patients. Data suggests that many physicians do not routinely broach the topic of alcohol and drug use with their teen patients because there isn’t enough time to bring the subject up, or they don’t always know what to do when a screen suggests a patient may have a problem. To make the process easier...

Missed Opportunities for Advance Care Planning Communication During Outpatient Clinic Visits

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:22:23 +0100

CONCLUSIONS Physicians often missed the opportunity to engage in ACP despite openers patients provided that could have prompted such discussions. Communication training efforts should focus on helping physicians identify patient openers and providing a toolbox to encourage appropriate physician responses; in order to successfully leverage opportunities to engage in ACP discussions. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1917-0Authors Sangeeta C. Ahluwalia, Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd. 111-G, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USAJennifer R. Levin, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USAKarl A. Lorenz, ...

The Black Dress [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Development of an Interactive, Web-Delivered System to Increase Provider–Patient Engagement in Smoking Cessation

Journal of Medical Internet Research — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Implementing a system to be used in a clinical setting is complex, as several issues can affect system use. In our ongoing large randomized trial, preliminary analysis with the first 50 practices using the system for 3 months demonstrated that our rigorous preimplementation evaluation helped us successfully identify and overcome these barriers before the main trial. Trial: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00797628; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00797628 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/61feCfjCy) (Source: Journal of Medical Internet Research)

Evolution of 3D Surface Imaging Systems in Facial Plastic Surgery

Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 02:59:50 +0100

This article recounts the chronologic evolution of 3D surface imaging, and summarizes the current status of today's facial surface capturing technology. This article also discusses current 3D surface imaging hardware and software, and their different techniques, technologies, and scientific validation, which provides surgeons with the background information necessary for evaluating the systems and knowledge about the systems they might incorporate into their own practice. (Source: Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America)

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Privacy–solidarity conflict: the communication with the support group

Neurological Sciences — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:47:18 +0100

Abstract Actually guidelines require that patient must be informed about his condition so that he can choose the persons he wants to share these information with. Nonetheless, the caregiver usually gets an intermediary role in doctor–patient communication thus becoming the doctor’s main conversation partner and claiming to be given more information than the patient himself. A more complex situation is about brain tumours patients sometimes affected by cognitive deficiencies, compromising their comprehension skills or their capability of keeping the information they are being given. A preliminary study allowed to submit separately to brain tumour patients and their family members a semi-structured interview. Although doctors communicate diagnosis and therapeutic plans, ...

Mobile health IT: The effect of user interface and form factor on doctor–patient communication

International Journal of Medical Informatics — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: When information is needed and has to be located at the point-of-care, the user interface and the physical form factor of the mobile information device are influential elements for successful collaboration between doctors and patients. Both elements need to be carefully designed so that physicians can use the devices to support face-to-face dialogue, nonverbal communication, and action visibility. The ability to facilitate and support the doctor–patient collaboration is a noteworthy usability factor in the design of mobile EPR systems. The paper also presents possible design guidelines for mobile point-of-care systems for improved doctor–patient communication. (Source: International Journal of Medical Informatics)

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Launches Mobile Appointment Abandonment...

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:36:15 +0100

Largest Hospital in Missouri Using Mobile to Improve Patient Communication and Reduce Missed Revenue(PRWeb October 11, 2011)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/appointment-abandonment/mhealth/prweb8865187.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

PASTE: patient-centered SMS text tagging in a medication management system.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

ConclusionOther studies have demonstrated systems that successfully extract medication information from clinical documents using semantic tagging, regular expression-based approaches, or a combination of both approaches. This evaluation demonstrates the feasibility of extracting medication information from patient-generated medication messages. PMID: 21984605 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association)

Emergency Department Triage: an Ethical Analysis

BMC Emergency Medicine — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This article provides an ethical analysis of "routine" emergency department triage. The four principles of biomedical ethics - viz. respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice provide the starting point and help us to identify the ethical challenges of emergency department triage. However, they do not offer a comprehensive ethical view. To address the ethical issues of emergency department triage from a more comprehensive ethical view, the care ethics perspective offers additional insights.SummaryWe integrate the results from the analysis using four principles of biomedical ethics into care ethics perspective on triage and propose an integrated clinically and ethically based framework of emergency department triage planning, as seen from a comprehensive ethics perspective...

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Portal aids meaningful use

Modern Medicine — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Sophrona Solutions have partnered to provide eye-care practices with a Web-based patient-communication portal featuring AAO patient education and information tools. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Internet and e-mail use in ENT: a survey of patient usage and satisfaction

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:50:39 +0100

Abstract Nowadays, internet and e-mail are important modes of communication and information. This paper seeks to determine internet usage as a source of health information amongst ENT patients and to investigate whether patients prefer to communicate primarily with the hospital via e-mail. The method used is a questionnaire study and 201 patients attending an ENT clinic completed questionnaires over 2 weeks in December 2010. Of those with internet access (85%), 37% had used it for health information prior to their appointment; 90% rated the information between average and excellent; over half stated they would like doctor-recommended websites. Overall, 8% had previously used e-mail to communicate with healthcare professionals, but 50% stated that they wished to use e-...

Post discharge follow up phone call

Heart and Lung — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

My current role in nursing includes making postdischarge follow-up phone calls and reviewing medication reconciliation forms to provide continuity of care and prevent unnecessary readmissions to our hospital. My experience in making follow-up phone calls has given me the opportunity to prevent multiple patients with differing diagnoses from being readmitted, as was similarly reported by Sawyer et al. Sawyer et al stated an intent to improve communication with patients before and after discharge by including patient interviews to assess their understanding of discharge instructions and postdischarge follow-up phone calls. This multidisciplinary team approach for improved patient communication can be of benefit to all patients, as was found for patients with congestive heart failure. (Sour...

Working toward the best doctor-patient communication.

Singapore Medical Journal — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This article examines three factors that may enhance communication between doctors and patients: two-way communication, biopsychosocial content and nonverbal communication. Factors such as culture and practicality are also discussed. The involvement of a health psychologist is recommended in some cases. This provides a possible direction toward the ideal doctor-patient communication, in the interest of providing best healthcare. PMID: 22009390 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Singapore Medical Journal)

Lost in Translation: A Fisherman's Tale [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

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Bucksbaum Foundation pledges $42 million to bolster doctor-patient communication

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(University of Chicago Medical Center) The Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation is giving $42 million to the University of Chicago to create the Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, a unique initiative that will focus on how to improve doctor-patient interaction. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Responding to GPs' information resource needs: implementation and evaluation of a complementary medicines information resource in Queensland general practice

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Further educational interventions on CMs need to be provided to GPs to increase their knowledge of CMs and to improve their communication with patients about their CMs use. (Source: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Questions for Better Care

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

People often fail to ask their doctors questions that could lead to fewer medical errors and better outcomes—and doctors don't routinely encourage them to do so. That's despite years of efforts to improve doctor-patient communication. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

Nurses’ perception of time availability in patient communication in Hong Kong

Journal of Clinical Nursing — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Nurses’ communication behaviour is closely related to their perception of communication. This study suggests the need for a paradigm shift in thinking about communication as requiring time. Additionally, nurses should recognise the value of short, iterative interaction and chit‐chat as quality communication for knowing their patients and providing patient‐centred care.Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses should think beyond time in the discourse of effective nurse–patient communication, as it often relates to manpower. An understanding of how nurses perceive their time availability for nurse–patient communication and their use of time for this aspect contribute to the discourse regarding how to improve patient‐centred care. (Source: Journal of Clinical Nurs...

Sexual dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis: a hot but sensitive issue.

British Journal of Nursing — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Palmer D, Miedany YE Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has considerable personal impact for sufferers and their families. Those with RA suffer from pain, restricted joint movements, and fatigue, and can have problems with self-esteem and body image. It is also possible that medication causes sexual problems. Research on the subject is limited, and shows a divergent picture. Assessment for sexual dysfunction in clinical practice might be another hurdle, as patients and health professionals are reluctant to discuss this issue face to face. The aim of the work carried out and described in this article was to study the possibility of implementing sexual dysfunction assessment into standard rheumatology clinical practice. Results revealed that the multidimensional patient-repo...

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New limits on physician training hours could prove costly for U.S. teaching hospitals

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0100

The new limits on hours that physicians-in-training can work will prove costly for U.S teaching hospitals, which will need to spend up to $1.3 billion a year, and possibly more, to effect the changes, a new UCLA study suggests. On July 1, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the national body charged with overseeing the training of junior doctors as they complete their specialty training, put into effect strict duty-hour limits on interns and medical residents and instituted related changes to the training environment. These reforms are intended to reduce medical errors by physicians-in-training at teaching hospitals that result from fatigue due to long work hours, though the changes do not assure a reduction in error rates. The new UCLA st...

The text effect: transforming two-way patient communication

OnMedica Views — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Martin Perminas discusses how mobile phone technology can address one of the NHS's most expensive burdensRelated items from OnMedicaHas telemedicine reached its tipping point? Text message service helps smokers quitMDU issues safe text advice to GPsExperts attack government’s “nudge” policy on obesityAdherence training helps cut high blood pressure (Source: OnMedica Views)

Comparative Assessment of Patient Satisfaction With Obstetric Sonography Between Missionary and Government Hospitals in Southeastern Nigeria

Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Patient satisfaction with obstetric sonography may indicate the quality of services rendered in the sonographic suite. A comparative assessment of the quality of services between government and missionary hospitals in southeastern Nigeria is not known. The aim of this study was to compare the satisfaction rating during obstetric sonography between government and missionary hospitals in Nigeria. Seven hundred pregnant mothers who had obstetric sonography at least twice in both missionary and government hospitals were recruited for the study between January and June 2010. Questionnaires completed by patients were designed to obtain information on demographic variables, as well as patient satisfaction ratings of some indices of satisfaction that the sonographer and the managers of health inst...

Communication: the key to effective interdisciplinary collaboration in the care of a child with complex rehabilitation needs.

Rehabilitation Nursing — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Reber PA, DiPietro EA, Paraway Y, Obst BP, Smith RA, Koller CL Abstract Healthcare providers have the unique opportunity to provide care and treatment to patients with complex medical needs. They learn early in their careers that the care they provide doesn't just include the patient. Communication is essential across the continuum and involves multiple providers and the family. An interdisciplinary team facilitates a comprehensive plan for recovery and treatment. This case study centers on the interdisciplinary approach to the rehabilitation continuum of care across the spectrum and its effects on patient outcomes. PMID: 21882794 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Rehabilitation Nursing)

Post‐operative risk factor control following internal carotid artery intervention

ANZ Journal of Surgery — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Future strategy targeted at achieving optimal post‐CEA and carotid angioplasty with adjuvant stenting risk factor control should consider incorporating themes that increase the level of accurate patient insight into their disease (particularly their post‐operative risk factor control), for instance, patient education and effective doctor–patient communication. (Source: ANZ Journal of Surgery)

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Advance directives, perioperative care and end-of-life planning

Best Practice and Research. Clinical Anaesthesiology — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

It is ethically and legally important, when providing care to our patients, to respect their autonomy and dignity, to act in their best interests and avoid doing harm. Advance care planning is essential to achieving this by giving patients the opportunity to tell us what they would want us to do if they became seriously unwell and could no longer communicate their wishes. Whereas earlier attempts at advance care planning focussed on the completion of forms, the more recent, successful focus has been on the patient-centred discussion, involving family, appointment of substitute decision makers and identification of what the patient would see as an acceptable outcome from any proposed treatment. Advance care planning is successful in caring for the elderly, including in the perioperative set...

Physician-patient communication in diabetes care: Focus on injectables.

The Journal of Family Practice — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Funnell MM Abstract Communication between the physician and patient has a significant impact on the patient's self-management efforts.. PMID: 21912775 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Journal of Family Practice)

AR: Patient communication could boost mammo screening

Health Imaging News — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:26:36 +0100

Radiologists need to make a potentially radical transition and embrace patient communication and education to counteract the potentially negative effects of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening mammography recommendations, according to an editorial published online Aug. 11 in Academic Radiology. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Incurable, invisible and inconclusive: watchful waiting for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and implications for doctor–patient communication

European Journal of Cancer Care — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

EVANS J., ZIEBLAND S. & PETTITT A.R. (2011) European Journal of Cancer CareIncurable, invisible and inconclusive: watchful waiting for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and implications for doctor–patient communicationPatients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) find it hard to accept a diagnosis of an incurable cancer for which no treatment is recommended and which may not cause symptoms for many years. We used qualitative interviews with 12 people with CLL managed by watchful waiting, drawn from a maximum variation sample of 39 adults with leukaemia, to explore accounts of watchful waiting and implications for clinical management. Patients with CLL recalled being given little information about the condition and wanted to know more about how it might affect them in the future. The ...

Implementation of an Informational Card to Reduce Family Members' Anxiety

AORN Journal — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:09:00 +0100

Abstract: For surgical patients' family members, the wait during surgery can cause anxiety that can be exacerbated if staff members provide inadequate or inconsistent information about the patient's status. Educational interventions and other staff-intensive measures to help reduce family members' anxiety can be time consuming for staff members and impractical in a high-volume facility. To improve communication with patients' families, nurses at a heart and vascular hospital in Dallas, Texas, designed and distributed a card containing estimated procedure times, helpful telephone numbers, and other information. A survey of family members indicated that receiving the card reduced anxiety in a significant proportion of the respondents. (Source: AORN Journal)

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Trustworthiness [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Results of medication studies in top medical journals may be misleading to readers

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:45:00 +0100

Studies about medications published in the most influential medical journals are frequently designed in a way that yields misleading or confusing results, new research suggests. Investigators from the medical schools at UCLA and Harvard analyzed all the randomized medication trials published in the six highest-impact general medicine journals between June 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2010, to determine the prevalence of three types of outcome measures that make data interpretation difficult. In addition, they reviewed each study's abstract to determine the percentage that reported results using relative rather than absolute numbers, which can also be a misleading. The findings are published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The six journals examined ...

“Entering a clinical trial: Is it right for you?”

Cancer — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS:Although the video did not measurably improve patients' knowledge about clinical trials, it was an important source of information, helped educate families, and enhanced patient communication with their oncology providers. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. (Source: Cancer)

AR: The $1.1B, double-edged sword of comparative effectiveness

Health Imaging News — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:20:58 +0100

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) presents both opportunities and challenges for radiology, according to an article published in the September issue of Academic Radiology. Patient communication, decision support and policy changes are essential to radiology’s survival in the comparative effectiveness era. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Doc talk: Reducing medical jargon to improve care

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:58:18 +0100

by Sarah Teasdale, MD “Don’t say febrile to me!” My sister yelled from the other end of the phone. “Don’t use doctor talk. I just want to know I need to take her to the emergency room.” She was at home with her 4-year-old who had a sore throat and was throwing up. I could hear my niece retching in the background, the dog was barking and her infant son crying. My sister was worried and needed reassurance. I was in medical mode, speaking in technical terms: ‘Is she febrile? Is the emesis bloody or bilious? Any sick contacts?” I was making her more nervous. A dish fell to the floor on the other end of the phone and my sister sighed. “I’m just going to call mom.” She hung up. My sister has plenty of education, and as a journ...

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Smoke-free policies could save landlords up to $18 million a year in cleaning costs

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:15:00 +0100

When apartment tenants light up a cigarette, it's not just their smoking-averse neighbors who suffer. Landlords are also sucking it up — in increased cleaning costs. But by implementing complete smoke-free rules throughout their properties, owners of California multi-unit rental buildings could save up to $18 million a year statewide on the cost of cleaning apartments vacated by tenants who smoke, according to a new UCLA study. These policies can also protect their other tenants from the secondhand smoke that seeps between units. The study was published online Aug. 18 in the American Journal of Public Health and will appear in the journal's October print issue. Secondhand smoke results in about 4,000 deaths each year from ischemic heart disease and lung cancer, a...

Training Seems To Improve Patient Communication Skills Of Surgical Residents For Specific Scenarios

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

According to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, supplying training to surgical residents to more effectively communicate with patients in specific scenarios (for example, when a patient has cancer), may enhance their communication skills for specific cases, but not their general communication skills. The article is part of the In Evolution: Surgical Training theme issue... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Decision making in surgical oncology

Surgical Oncology — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:11:32 +0100

Abstract: Decisions in surgical oncology are increasingly being made by multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). Although MDTs have been widely accepted as the preferred model for cancer service delivery, the process of decision making has not been well described and there is little evidence pointing to the ideal structure of an MDT. Performance in surgery has been shown to depend on non-technical skills, such as decision making, as well as patient factors and the technical skills of the healthcare team. Application of this systems approach to MDT working allows the identification of factors that affect the quality of decision making for cancer patients. In this article we review the literature on decision making in surgical oncology and by drawing from the systems approach to surgical performance...

Maine provider taps athenahealth

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:17:50 +0100

athenahealth, a developer of cloud-based practice management, EHR and patient communication services to medical groups, has signed an agreement with the Maine Medical Center Physician-Hospital Organization (MMC PHO), a nonprofit partnership of the MMC and the Community Physicians of Maine (CPM). (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Assessing Dermatologists' Ability to Deliver a Novel Intervention to Improve Patients' Use of Sun Protection: The ABC Method of Physician-Patient Communication [Research Letters]

Archives of Dermatology — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Archives of Dermatology)

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Pretraining and Posttraining Assessment of Residents' Performance in the Fourth Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competency: Patient Communication Skills [Original Article]

Archives of Surgery — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Patient communication skills need to be taught as part of residency training. With limited training, case-specific skills (herein, involving patients with cancer) are likely to improve more than general communication skills. (Source: Archives of Surgery)

Nursing the patient with complex communication needs: time as a barrier and a facilitator to successful communication in hospital

Journal of Advanced Nursing — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Time is perceived by nurses as both an enemy and friend for improving communication. Nurses who perceive that communication takes too long may avoid communication and miss opportunities to improve communication through increased familiarity with the person’s communication methods. Those who take time to communicate narrate applying a range of strategies to achieve success in basic needs communication. (Source: Journal of Advanced Nursing)

Nurses' Perceptions of How Clinical Information System Implementation Affects Workflow and Patient Care.

Computers, Informatics, Nursing : CIN — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study compared changes in nurse's perceptions about patient care processes and workflow before and after a comprehensive clinical information system implementation at a rural referral hospital. The study used the Information Systems Expectations and Experiences survey, which consists of seven scales-provider-patient communication, interprovider communication, interorganizational communication, work-life changes, improved care, support and resources, and patient care processes. Survey responses were examined across three administrations-before and after training and after implementation. The survey responses decreased significantly for eight of the 47 survey items from the first administration to the second and for 37 items from the second administration to the third. Perceptions were ...

The Congruence of Patient Communication Preferences and Physician Communication Behavior in Cardiac Patients.

Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS:: The instruments developed (KOPRA and KOVA questionnaires) can be used for communication studies of patients with chronic conditions. However, some patient communication needs seem to require greater consideration from physicians. PMID: 21826015 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention)

The Law and Dentoalveolar Complications: Trends and Controversies

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This article reviews legal issues and cases where complications have resulted in claims of malpractice. Recommendations for patient communication and documentation to reduce or eliminate such claims are presented. (Source: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics)

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Psychodynamic approaches to teaching medical students about the doctor-patient relationship: randomised controlled trial [Education & training]

Psychiatric Bulletin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Aims and method To evaluate the effectiveness of two psychodynamic psychotherapy teaching methods, a student psychotherapy scheme (SPS) and participation in a Balint group, in teaching first-year clinical medical students about doctor-patient communication and the doctor-patient relationship. The 28 students, who were randomly allocated to three groups (SPS group, Balint group starting at baseline and Balint group starting at 3 months and acting as partial controls), were rated on a questionnaire testing their knowledge of emotional and psychodynamic aspects of the doctor-patient relationship administered at baseline, at 3 months and at 1 year. Results At 3 months, students in the SPS and Balint groups scored higher than the partial control group, the difference approaching significance at...

Secure web messaging in a pediatric chronic care clinic: a slow takeoff of “kids’ airmail”

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:52:43 +0100

Source: Hsiao AL et al, Pediatrics, 127(2) Content: BACKGROUND Although e-mail may be an efficient clinician-patient communication tool, standard e-mail is not adequately secure to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. For this reason, firewall-secured electronic messaging systems have been developed for use in health care. Impact and usability of these secure [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Gain of Function: Empathy for the Uncertain Patient With Cancer [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Experts' opinions on the management of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care. A qualitative analysis of narrative reviews and scientific editorials

Family Practice — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. MUS experts highlight the importance of generic interventions and doctor–patient communication and relationship. However, studies showing the effectiveness of these elements in the management of MUS in primary care is still scarce. Research as well as medical practice should focus more on these non-specific aspects of the medical consultation. (Source: Family Practice)

Patients' communication with doctors: A randomized control study of a brief patient communication intervention.

Families, Systems, and Health — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This study supports that helping patients structure their communication using a written format can facilitate doctor-patient communication. Patients can become more adept at describing their health concerns, organizing their needs and questions, and being proactive, which can have a positive effect on the quality of the doctor-patient communication during outpatient office visits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Families, Systems, and Health)

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'Oh he was forgettable': Construction of self identity through use of communicative coping behaviors in the discourse of persons with cognitive impairment

Dementia — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study characterizes the use of CCBs (e.g., accounts and humor) by persons with CI in clinical interviews and provides important insight on how to improve doctor—patient communication involving people with CI. In order to describe and compare CCBs used by persons with cognitive impairment, and those used by cognitively normal individuals, verbatim, in-office transcripts from both groups were analyzed. Results showed that participants with CI used more memory accounts than cognitively normal individuals and similar amounts of humor in order to save face and construct a normal identity. These data help to inform doctors and caregivers regarding the ways in which persons with CI construct and preserve a positive sense of self-identity through communication. (Source: Dementia)

athenahealth to buy Proxsys for up to $36M

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:51:53 +0100

athenahealth, a developer of cloud-based practice management, EHR and patient communication services, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Proxsys, a Birmingham, Ala.-based provider of cloud-based care coordination services between physicians and hospitals. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Secure web messaging between patients and doctors: Not well received

Clinical Cases and Images — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:01:39 +0100

Although e-mail may be an efficient clinician-patient communication tool, standard e-mail is not adequately secure to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. For this reason, firewall-secured electronic messaging systems have been developed for use in health care.The Kryptiq messaging system was implemented at an academic center and messages were monitored continuously and tracked.In the 8 months after implementation, only 5 messages were initiated by patients in contrast to 2,363 phone calls.Patients/families expressed strong interest in e-mailing but secure Web messaging was:- less convenient than using the phone- too technically cumbersome- lacked a personal touch- only by a handful of patientsOne pediatrician on Twitter wants a simpler solution:@Doc...

Use of Prescription Drug Samples and Patient Assistance Programs, and the Role of Doctor–Patient Communication

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:02:30 +0100

CONCLUSIONS In 2006, over half of seniors in Medicare received free samples, but only 1.3% reported receiving any medications from a patient assistance program. Doctor–patient communication is strongly associated with use of these programs, which has important implications for clinical care regardless of whether these programs are viewed as drivers of prescription costs or a remedy for them. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1801-yAuthors Walid F. Gellad, Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Pittsburgh, PA, USAHaiden A. Huskamp, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USAAngela Li, The Health Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USAYuting ...

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Picture book improves patient communication

Nursing Times Breaking News — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:48:00 +0100

Staff at a West Midlands hospital trust have developed a new picture book to help patients with verbal communication difficulties. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

University Hospitals' Academic Medical Center Selects athenahealth's Cloud-Based Revenue Cycle Management Service

Medical Design Online News — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0100

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health record (EHR), and patient communication services to medical groups, today announced that University Hospitals (UH), one of the nation's largest community-based health systems, has expanded its relationship with athenahealth and will deploy the Company's cloud-based practice management and medical billing service, athenaCollector®, to its academic medical center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, which is supported by more than 1,000 medical providers (Source: Medical Design Online News)

13. Interpersonal communication analysis of heart failure telehealth interactions: implications for training

Heart and Lung — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

VA Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) uses a variety of telehealth technologies to enable care/case management and patient self-management to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce emergency care visits, hospitalization, bed days of care and avoidable institutional care. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, CHF, COPD, depression, and PTSD are telemonitored with care coordination. Our study examines the nurse – patient communication process in this setting with CHF patients with the goal of finding best practices that encourage patient engagement, interaction, and support shared decision making. (Source: Heart and Lung)

Effects of Peyton's Four-Step Approach on Objective Performance Measures in Technical Skills Training: A Controlled Trial.

Teaching and Learning in Medicine — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Peyton's Four-Step Approach is superior to standard instruction with respect to professionalism and accompanying doctor-patient communication and leads to faster performance when trainees perform the learned skill for the first time. PMID: 21745059 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Teaching and Learning in Medicine)

Oncology nurses' attitudes toward prognosis-related communication: a pilot mailed survey of oncology nursing society members.

Oncology Nursing Forum — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:45:22 +0100

Conclusions: Respondents identified uncertainties regarding the scope of oncology nurses' role in prognosis-related communication. Respondents also identified opportunities for improved interdisciplinary communication, most importantly the inclusion of oncology nurses in prognosis-related communication.Implications for Nursing: Opportunities for oncology nurses to bridge some gaps in prognosis-related communication likely exist, although barriers surrounding nurses' role, education, and communication within the context of the larger healthcare team need to be clarified if potential solutions are to be developed. PMID: 21708537 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Oncology Nursing Forum)

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Pathology Review of Outside Material: When Does It Help and When Can It Hurt? [Ethics]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Pathology review can be beneficial or potentially harmful depending on the clinical situation. Preliminary recommendations are provided for selecting patients for review. Limiting pathology review to certain clinical situations and encouraging patients to get second opinions before initial treatment at local referral centers may be helpful in minimizing reassignment of diagnoses after definitive treatment. (Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

The Paradox of Positive Thinking [ART OF ONCOLOGY]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Pitt Researcher Finds Patients' Perceptions Of Discrimination In Health Care Settings Can Influence Future Interactions With Health Care Providers

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0100

African-American patients who have experienced racism or classism in health care settings have less positive doctor-patient communication during future visits with other health care providers, according to a study led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study also showed that past experiences with discrimination do not have the same impact on subsequent doctor-patient communication for white patients. The study appears in the July issue of the journal Medical Care. Leslie Hausmann, Ph.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Poll of the Week: Effective Patient Communication

Physicians Practice — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Which do you find is the least effective way to deliver information to your patients? (Source: Physicians Practice)

Drug safety-from patients' perspective.

Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:30:03 +0100

Authors: Kitazawa K Patients expect drugs are 100% effective and safe. Unfortunately, however, most drugs are not. Continuous efforts by healthcare professionals and industry should be made to maximize efficacy and safety. Here, four challenges are shown from a viewpoint of laypersons. 1) Develop better drugs: Continuous efforts to develop drugs for 'neglected' diseases should be enhanced to meet unmet medical needs. 2) Deliver right drugs: Medication errors caused by similar names and shapes have been repeatedly reported. Communication with patients and their families may be helpful to decrease errors. 3) Improve the quality of drug information: How health professionals provide drug information to patients should be routinely monitored to improve the quality. Rephrasing to plain expre...

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Six Sigma DMAIC Quality Study: Expanded Nurse Practitioner's Role in Health Care During and Posthospitalization Within the United States

Home Health Care Management — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Analysis of the current open-ended health care process allowed determining failure points and how to prevent such failures. Recommended poka-yokes include greater involvement of nurses in education and counseling patients during hospitalization and posthospitalization. Structured home visits and nurses role in improving communication with patients to foster better understanding and self-care compliance would decrease the number of unplanned readmissions. Expanding the current education process in nursing schools and nursing roles is crucial to implement a closed-loop health care delivery system, which incorporates suggested poka-yokes. (Source: Home Health Care Management)

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website

Health Research Policy and Systems — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions. (Source: Health Research Policy and Systems)

athenahealth expands Maine presence with $7.7M deal

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:00:56 +0100

athenahealth, which provides practice management, electronic health record and patient communication services to physician practices, has closed on the purchase of property in Northport, Maine for $7.7 million, where it plans to establish a training center near another of its sites in Belfast, Maine. athenahealth, with headquarrters in Watertown, Mass. employs 300 people at its Belfast facility on the coast of Maine. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Pfizer Selects Exco InTouch?s Novel eDiary Technologies to Initiate First Ever Patient-Centered Clinical Trial

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:50:58 +0100

CHESHIRE, England, June 20, 2011 - Exco InTouch, the leading provider of patient communication solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, has announced that its novel eDiary technologies have been selected by Pfizer, the... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

[Correspondence] Social networking and health

LANCET — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

By 2010, 60% of adults in the UK were using the internet every day or almost every day, and this figure continues to increase. Although the use of the internet is becoming increasingly common in areas such as e-commerce and social networking, health systems continue to lag in their use of such technology to communicate with patients. The conflicting opinions expressed in the World Report by Sharmila Devi (April 2, p 1141) only extend the confusion around the use of social networking for communication with patients. (Source: LANCET)

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The Possibilities Of Social Networking And Health

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Three letters in this week's Lancet discuss social networking and health, including on how both doctors and patients are adjusting to this new method of communication. In the first letter, Helen Atherton and Professor Azeem Majeed (Imperial College London, UK) say: "As well as seeking to produce new evidence [on social networking], we should be using current evidence on how social networking might be used to improve communication with patients." They discuss some of the complexities that social networking is now opening up... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Lessons in communication–from my Twitter friend

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:38:32 +0100

A few weeks ago I sent out a tweet about something that I’d been noticing a lot in clinic that makes me sad. It’s remarkable, I said, how often patients don’t tell their doctors when they don’t understand, or when their instructions are impossible. A tweet came back: It’s remarkable how often doctors don’t ask if we understand or if their instructions are possible. The tweeter was the mom of a kid with special health care needs (actually, more than one kid). As we tweeted back and forth about her experiences, it hit me how crucial good communication is when there is medically complex stuff going on. So I asked her if she would help me write a blog post about the things parents like her wished doctors knew—or would ask. Sure, she said. She talked with some of her friends who a...

Bariatric Surgery Pharmacy Consultation Service

Obesity Surgery — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:30:46 +0100

Abstract Bariatric surgical patients often need changes in formulation and dosages of their medications. The literature contains minimal information regarding pharmaceutical care and consultation services for the bariatric surgery patient. Complex medication regimens and safety concerns initiated a collaborative effort between surgeons and pharmacists to manage more effectively bariatric patients perioperatively. The consultation service included patient identification, pharmacy referral, pharmacist consultation with the patient, communication of recommendations with surgeons, follow-up, and documentation. There were 124 consultations performed from February 2, 2009 to December 1, 2010 with an average of 7.7 medications optimized per patient. Every patient required a minim...

An evidence-based communication skills training programme for oncology nurses improves patient-centred communication, enhancing empathy, reassurance and discussion of psychosocial needs

Evidence-Based Nursing — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Implications for practice and research Communication skills training programmes for oncology nurses may increase patient-centred communication. The results showed an increase in empathetic communication by the study participants (eg, reassurance, optimistic utterances), less biomedical talk and longer periods of uninterrupted patient talk after the programme. Research in nurse–patient communication should use established communication skills training programmes and coding schemes and also should employ newer analytic techniques such as sequence analysis to understand patterns of communication between nurses and patients. Further definition of the roles of oncology nurses and the terms reciprocity and patient centredness are necessary in future studies. Context Given the increasing...

Patients' expectations and success criteria for liver transplantation

Liver Transplantation — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractPatient‐reported outcomes are important to consider when evaluating the relative success of liver transplantation (LTx). Our primary objective was to examine LTx expectations and criteria for success from the perspective of LTx wait‐listed patients across four domains of functioning (pain, fatigue, emotional distress, interference with daily activities). One hundred four adult patients (N = 104), with a mean wait‐list time of 16.5±13 months, completed a semi‐structured interview using a modified Patient‐Centered Outcomes Questionnaire. Patients reported moderate usual levels (mean ratings = 3.8 – 6.2) of pain, fatigue, emotional distress, and interference with daily activities, and they attached high importance to improvement in these domains following LTx (mean rating...

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Preparation for the end of life in patients with advanced cancer and association with communication with professional caregivers

Psycho-Oncology — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

ConclusionsA substantial minority of patients with advanced cancer but with good performance status are concerned about EOL preparation, particularly in relation to their families. Better CPC may help patients prepare not only practically but also personally and socially in relation to the dying process and the welfare of their families. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Psycho-Oncology)

Use of antioxidant and other complementary medicine by patients treated by antitumor chemotherapy: a prospective study.

Bulletin du Cancer — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Thomas-Schoemann A, Alexandre J, Mongaret C, Azibi S, Dauphin A, Goldwasser F, Lemare F Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been reported to be more and more frequent among cancer patients in USA. The aim of this study was to analyze among French cancer patients the prevalence of CAM use, focusing on antioxidants (AO) that could interfere with antitumor agents. Seventy-nine patients, treated by antitumor chemotherapy in oncology day care unit, participated to an interview (medium age = 60 years old). CAM use was reported by 42% of patients: mostly AO (24%) (selenium, green tea and vitamins ACE, more specifically), but also relaxation, acupuncture, hypnosis (19%) and homeopathy (15%). Among patients using CAM, 66% of them indicated that their physician...

Use of Picture Communication Aids to Assess Pain Location in Pediatric Post-Operative Patients

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Children undergoing surgical procedures may have difficulty communicating due to language barrier, disability, temporary inability or temporary unwillingness to speak. A need exists for a standard communication strategy for post-operative children with communication barriers. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) picture communication may facilitate nurse-patient communication in post-operative pediatric patients. (Source: Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing)

Patients’ perceptions of post-treatment experiences in osteopathy: A qualitative study using focus groups

European Journal of Integrative Medicine — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Background: Mild-to-moderate adverse events are common following manual therapies . In our pilot survey among osteopathic patients, many reported experiencing transient local pain (∼50%) and stiffness (∼40%); other reports included unexpected tiredness (∼25%) and headaches (∼10%). To help set this data in context, we need a greater understanding of how patients view these experiences; such insight will allow collection of patient-centred data, which will provide research evidence to inform undergraduate teaching, and help to enhance practitioner-patient communication. (Source: European Journal of Integrative Medicine)

Factors affecting effective communication between registered nurses and adult cancer patients in an inpatient setting: a systematic review

International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:20:33 +0100

Conclusion Within the constraints of the study and the few quality papers available, it appeared that personal characteristics of patients and nurses are the key factors that influence effective nurse–patient communication within the oncology setting. Very little evidence exists to explain the role of environment in effective nurse–patient communication, particularly within an Asian setting.Implications for practice Training can be implemented to inform nurses about the communication challenges, to equip them with effective communication skills and improve their receptivity to patient cues. Information‐sharing can be used as a non‐threatening approach to initiate rapport‐building and open communication. Nurses should consider patients' psychological readiness to communicate...

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Culture and End-of-Life Care: An Epidemiological Evaluation of Physicians.

The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care — Tue, 24 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Yapp KA Beneficence is a fundamental concept of medicine, which embodies the notion above all, do no harm. While this principle illustrates the health care professional's duty to contribute to the patient's welfare, the principle becomes convoluted when the wishes of the patient directly conflict with that of the physician. The purpose of the study was to determine the degree to which cultural beliefs influence a physician's decision to introduce the concept of hospice to terminally ill patients. This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of 14 physicians practicing medicine in Mercer County, New Jersey. Analysis of the textural data revealed the following 5 themes: (a) physician personal perspectives, (b) physician perspectives on culture, (c) perspectives on hospic...

Informing Patients: The Influence of Numeracy, Framing, and Format of Side Effect Information on Risk Perceptions

Medical Decision Making — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Frequency formats appear to increase risk perceptions over percentage formats for less-numerate respondents. Health communicators need to be aware that different formats generate different risk perceptions among patients varying in numeracy. (Source: Medical Decision Making)

Clinical Applications of Physical 3D Models Derived From MDCT Data and Created by Rapid Prototyping

American Journal of Roentgenology — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION. In recent years, rapid prototyping technologies have provided new possibilities to visualize complex anatomic structures through the generation of physical models that can be used to assist with diagnosis, surgical planning, prosthesis design, and patient communication. (Source: American Journal of Roentgenology)

Towards a Clarification of Terminology in Medicine Taking Behavior: Compliance, Adherence and Concordance are Related Although Different Terms with Different Uses.

Current Clinical Pharmacology — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: De Las Cuevas C Medical terminology is at continuous process of change since the language of medicine needs the rapid incorporation of new terms or changing the existing ones to be in touch with new ideas, concepts and practices. The evolution of the terms "compliance", "adherence" and "concordance" in the field of medicine-taking represents a good example of this. Although these three terms are frequently used interchangeably generating some confusion, compliance, adherence and concordance mean different things and must be used in different ways. Compliance refers to the extent to which patients follow doctors' prescription about medicine taking; adherence refers to the extent to which patients follow through decisions about medicine taking; and concordance refers to the exte...

Clinicians’ accuracy in perceiving patients: Its relevance for clinical practice and a narrative review of methods and correlates

Patient Education and Counseling — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Clinicians’ interpersonal sensitivity is an important component of quality of care and deserves further research.Practice implications: This important skill should be incorporated into training programs to improve clinician–patient communication. (Source: Patient Education and Counseling)

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Communication about patient pain in primary care: Development of the Physician–Patient Communication about Pain scale (PCAP)

Patient Education and Counseling — Mon, 16 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: The PCAP scale shows partial evidence of reliability and two forms of validity.Practice implications: More research with this scale (developing more reliable and valid composites) is needed to extend these preliminary findings before this scale is applicable for use in practice. (Source: Patient Education and Counseling)

Taking into account patients’ communication preferences: Instrument development and results in chronic back pain patients

Patient Education and Counseling — Mon, 16 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion and practice implications: The preference-matching scales allow areas to be identified in which physicians are not very successful in addressing the communication preferences of patients. With back pain patients, physicians should take particular consideration of the very great need for open communication and information about further treatment. (Source: Patient Education and Counseling)

Incorporating MI techniques into physician counseling

Patient Education and Counseling — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Despite competing demands, primary care physicians are expected to counsel patients to change unhealthful behaviors. For instance, according to the US Preventive Task Force guidelines, physicians should counsel their patients who smoke to quit (A rating) and provide intensive weight counseling to obese patients (B rating) . However, most physicians have not learned how to counsel effectively. There is a recent trend that medical schools and residency programs include courses on doctor-patient communication; yet, most practicing physicians have not received this training. In this issue, Haeseler and colleagues describe a two-hour curriculum for medical students that included didactic and feedback elements to teach MI techniques. They found that, according to a standardized patient, those wh...

A qualitative examination of patient experiences of dietetic consultations

Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:11:31 +0100

Conclusion: This study examined the experiences of a small group of patients and found that even within this group, experiences of dietetic consultations varied widely. Whilst the specific findings of this study may not be not be generalisable to the experience of all patients, they show that the most important issue for patients is that their individual needs and circumstances are recognised by a dietitian during a consultation. Awareness of this is essential if dietitians are to function effectively as facilitators of behaviour change.References: Ong, L.M., de Haes, J.C., Hoos, A.M. & Lammes, F.B. (1995) Doctor‐patient communication: a review of the literature. Soc. Sci. Med. 40, 903–18.Mead, N. & Bower, P. (2000) Patient‐centredness: a conceptual framework and review...

Now What Should I Do? Primary Care Physicians’ Responses to Older Adults Expressing Thoughts of Suicide

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:44:37 +0100

CONCLUSIONS The physicians in this sample recognized and implicitly acknowledged suicide risk in their older patients, but all seemed unable to go beyond mere assessment. The absence of clearly articulated treatment plans may reflect a lack of a coherent framework for managing suicide risk, insufficient clinical skills, and availability of mental health specialty support required to address suicide risk effectively. To respond to suicide’s numerous challenges to the primary care delivery system, QI strategies will require changes to physician education and may require enhancing practice support. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1726-5Authors Steven D. Vannoy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University, of Washington, ...

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Advanced Nurse-Patient Communication System

Journal of Medical Systems — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:05:36 +0100

ACOG Statement: Cultural Sensitivity Allows Quality Care

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:06:34 +0100

An ACOG Committee Opinion states that awareness and sensitivity to a patient's cultural background can improve physician-patient communication and positively affect patient health. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Psychologically informed interventions for low back pain: an update for physical therapists.

Physical Therapy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This article is intended to address these tasks by explaining and describing the application of empirically based psychological principles and strategic clinical reasoning. Importantly, the roles of skills in assessment, treatment planning, and communication with patients are identified as essential but feasible skills for physical therapists to acquire with appropriate training. PMID: 21451090 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Physical Therapy)

Cultural Sensitivity Is Key To Quality Care

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Awareness and sensitivity to a patient's cultural background can improve physician-patient communication and positively affect patient health, according to a new Committee Opinion released by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). By learning more about the cultural identity of their patients, ob-gyns can become more sensitive to women's unique needs and can enhance quality of care and medical compliance, especially among women in minority and underserved communities... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Physicians' explanatory behaviours and legal liability in decided medical malpractice litigation cases in Japan

BMC Medical Ethics — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: These findings may be useful in improving physician-patient communication in the medical setting. (Source: BMC Medical Ethics)

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Alternative Communication Systems for people with severe motor disabilities: a Survey

BioMedical Engineering OnLine — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We have now sufficient evidence that using electrical biosignals in the field of Alternative and Augmented Communication is feasible. Additionally, they are particularly suitable in the case of people with severe motor impairment, e.g. people with high-level spinal cord injury or with locked-up syndrome. Developing solutions for them implies that we find ways to use sensors that fit the users needs and limitations, which in turn impacts the specifications of the system translating the user's intentions into commands. After devising solutions for a given user or profile, the system should be evaluated with an appropriate method, allowing a comparison with other solutions. This paper submits a review of the way three bioelectrical signals - electromyographic, electrooculographic and electroe...

Patients rate physician communication about lung cancer

Cancer — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS:Across all stages, patients with lung cancer reported low rates of physician‐patient communication on key topics, which may increase patient distress, impair decision‐making, and compromise clinical outcomes and use patterns. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. (Source: Cancer)

Urological litigation in the UK National Health Service (NHS): an analysis of 14 years of successful claims

BJU International — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION• The present study once again emphasizes the importance of thorough clinical assessment, record keeping and follow‐up as well as informed consent and good communication with patients.• Recognising the areas of highest risk and improving practice should limit future claims. (Source: BJU International)

Perceptions of Disease State, Treatment Outcomes, and Prognosis Among Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Results From an Internet-Based Survey.

The Oncologist — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion. Patients with MDS have a limited understanding of their disease characteristics, prognosis, and treatment goals. These results may help improve physician-patient communication and identify factors to consider when making treatment decisions. PMID: 21478277 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Oncologist)

Chapter 1. Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

AccessMedicine Updates — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:32 +0100

The medical interview serves several functions. It is used to collect information to assist in diagnosis (the "history" of the present illness), to assess and communicate prognosis, to establish a therapeutic relationship, and to reach agreement with the patient about further diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options. It also serves as an opportunity to influence patient behavior, such as in motivational discussions about smoking cessation or medication adherence. Interviewing techniques that avoid domination by the clinician increase patient involvement in care and patient satisfaction. Effective clinician-patient communication and increased patient involvement can improve health outcomes. For many illnesses, treatment depends on difficult fundamental behavioral changes, including alt...

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Trying to take a patient portal for a test drive

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:42:31 +0100

Source: Brian Eastwood, HealthITExchange Content: “The patient portal is one of the cornerstones of 21st-century doctor-patient communication. Plus, with meaningful use requiring health care providers to give patients electronic access to their protected health information, a Web portal makes a lot more sense than a stack of rewritable CDs on the receptionist’s desk. However, as with [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Medication, Communication Alleviate Latino Depression

Modern Medicine — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Among Latinos, symptoms of depression are more likely to abate with the use of antidepressants and quality doctor-patient communication, but symptoms are more likely to persist in the presence of stigma toward antidepressants, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in General Hospital Psychiatry. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Facilitators and barriers for GP-patient communication in palliative care: a qualitative study among GPs, patients, and end-of-life consultants.

The British Journal of General Practice — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Slort W, Blankenstein AH, Deliens L, van der Horst HE Effective communication is considered to be essential for the delivery of high-quality care. Communication in palliative care may be particularly difficult, and there is still no accepted set of communication skills for GPs in providing palliative care. PMID: 21439174 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The British Journal of General Practice)

The effectiveness of personalized coronary heart disease and stroke risk communication

American Heart Journal — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Personalized risk communication was preferred by patients and had a small impact on risk reduction preferences and decision conflict but had no impact on patient beliefs or behavior compared with standard risk factor education. (Source: American Heart Journal)