“They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians
Abstract Background Understanding patients’ beliefs about their role communicating in medical visits is an important pre-requisite to encourage patients’ use of active participatory communication, and these beliefs may be particularly relevant for patients with diabetes. Methods Focus groups were co...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-5063-4 |
| _version_ | 1829498060100599808 |
|---|---|
| author | Howard S. Gordon Lisa K. Sharp Antoinette Schoenthaler |
| author_facet | Howard S. Gordon Lisa K. Sharp Antoinette Schoenthaler |
| author_sort | Howard S. Gordon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Understanding patients’ beliefs about their role communicating in medical visits is an important pre-requisite to encourage patients’ use of active participatory communication, and these beliefs may be particularly relevant for patients with diabetes. Methods Focus groups were conducted to examine patients with diabetes view of their role communicating in medical encounters. Patients had type 2 diabetes, A1C ≥ 8% (64 mmol/mol), and were from an inner-city VA hospital. Guiding questions for the focus groups were based on theoretical models of patient-physician communication. Focus group transcripts were analyzed with the constant comparative method. Results Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 20 male Veterans. Participants mean age was 61 years, 65% self-identified as black or African-American, 80% completed high school or higher education, and mean A1C was 10.3% (89 mmol/mol). Eight themes were identified as to why patients might have difficulty communicating with physicians. These themes were grouped into three overarching categories explaining reasons why patients might avoid participatory communication and included patients’ view about their condition; about physician’s communication behaviors; and about external influences on patient-physician communication. For example, patients described how use of the EHR may deter patients’ use of active participatory communication. Conclusions These results are important for understanding how patients’ use of active participatory communication is influenced by their beliefs and expectations, physicians’ behaviors, and structural factors. The results may be useful for educational efforts to increase patient, physician, and healthcare systems awareness of problems that patients perceive when communicating with physicians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:05:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5770bf5cceb04c58994fb459971bce2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:05:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-5770bf5cceb04c58994fb459971bce2f2022-12-21T22:38:28ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632020-03-012011910.1186/s12913-020-5063-4“They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physiciansHoward S. Gordon0Lisa K. Sharp1Antoinette Schoenthaler2Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center and VA Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic HealthcareInstitute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at ChicagoCenter for Healthful Behavior Change, Department of Population Health, NYU School of MedicineAbstract Background Understanding patients’ beliefs about their role communicating in medical visits is an important pre-requisite to encourage patients’ use of active participatory communication, and these beliefs may be particularly relevant for patients with diabetes. Methods Focus groups were conducted to examine patients with diabetes view of their role communicating in medical encounters. Patients had type 2 diabetes, A1C ≥ 8% (64 mmol/mol), and were from an inner-city VA hospital. Guiding questions for the focus groups were based on theoretical models of patient-physician communication. Focus group transcripts were analyzed with the constant comparative method. Results Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 20 male Veterans. Participants mean age was 61 years, 65% self-identified as black or African-American, 80% completed high school or higher education, and mean A1C was 10.3% (89 mmol/mol). Eight themes were identified as to why patients might have difficulty communicating with physicians. These themes were grouped into three overarching categories explaining reasons why patients might avoid participatory communication and included patients’ view about their condition; about physician’s communication behaviors; and about external influences on patient-physician communication. For example, patients described how use of the EHR may deter patients’ use of active participatory communication. Conclusions These results are important for understanding how patients’ use of active participatory communication is influenced by their beliefs and expectations, physicians’ behaviors, and structural factors. The results may be useful for educational efforts to increase patient, physician, and healthcare systems awareness of problems that patients perceive when communicating with physicians.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-5063-4Patient participationType 2 diabetes mellitusPatient-physician relationsVeteransQualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Howard S. Gordon Lisa K. Sharp Antoinette Schoenthaler “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians BMC Health Services Research Patient participation Type 2 diabetes mellitus Patient-physician relations Veterans Qualitative research |
| title | “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| title_full | “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| title_fullStr | “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| title_full_unstemmed | “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| title_short | “They are talking from the Encyclopedia Britannica brain”: diabetes patients’ perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| title_sort | they are talking from the encyclopedia britannica brain diabetes patients perceptions of barriers to communicating with physicians |
| topic | Patient participation Type 2 diabetes mellitus Patient-physician relations Veterans Qualitative research |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-5063-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT howardsgordon theyaretalkingfromtheencyclopediabritannicabraindiabetespatientsperceptionsofbarrierstocommunicatingwithphysicians AT lisaksharp theyaretalkingfromtheencyclopediabritannicabraindiabetespatientsperceptionsofbarrierstocommunicatingwithphysicians AT antoinetteschoenthaler theyaretalkingfromtheencyclopediabritannicabraindiabetespatientsperceptionsofbarrierstocommunicatingwithphysicians |