Abstract
Objective: Collecting information during patient encounters is essential for the delivery of patient-centered care. To obtain insight into areas that require more attention in medical communication training, this study explores what difficulties GP trainees encounter when gathering information.
Methods: In this phenomenological study, we observed a morning clinic of 15 GP trainees. To explore trainees' experiences with information-gathering, we held brief interviews after every consultation and a lengthier interview directly after the morning clinic. The resulting data were analyzed using template analysis.
Results: From trainees' reflections, we distilled five difficulties that trainees experience when gathering information: (1) Goal conflicts; (2) Ineffectiveness of trained communication skills in specific situations; (3) Trainees' distress hampers open communication; (4) Untrustworthy information; (5) Tunnel vision.
Conclusion: Information-gathering is difficult for GP trainees. Current generic communication skills training does not seem to support trainees sufficiently to handle effectively the challenges they encounter during consultations.
Practice implications: Medical communication training needs to support trainees in handling their goal-conflicts and feelings that hamper information-gathering, while also providing them with communication strategies adapted to handling specific challenging situations. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 837-842 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Patient Education and Counseling |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2015 |
Keywords
- Doctor-patient communication
- Information-gathering
- General practice
- Medical education
- Qualitative research
- OF-THE-LITERATURE
- PRIMARY-CARE
- COMMUNICATION-SKILLS
- PHYSICAL-EXAMINATION
- GENERAL-PRACTICE
- CONTEXT FACTORS
- ENCOUNTERS
- GUIDELINES
- CONSULTATIONS
- DIAGNOSIS