Biomaterial Database

Fatigue communication at the out-patient clinic of Rheumatology. 2009

Han Repping-Wuts, and Theo Repping, and Piet van Riel, and Theo van Achterberg

Department of Rheumatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.repping@cis.umcn.nl

OBJECTIVE To describe nurse-patient and rheumatologist-patient interaction in fatigue communication at the rheumatology out-patient clinic. METHODS Consultations of 20 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with the nurse specialist and the rheumatologist were videotaped and analysed using the Medical Interview Aural Rating Scale (MIARS). Subsequently, patients were asked to fill out a concern questionnaire asking how worried they felt and how satisfied they were with attention given by both healthcare professionals. Finally, patients were interviewed on reasons for being not or not completely satisfied with the care received. RESULTS Fatigue was discussed in 42% of the rheumatologists' consultations and 83% of the nurse specialists' consultations. RA patients more often used implicit cues instead of explicit concerns related to fatigue. Almost 72% of the patients felt worried about fatigue and in general they were more satisfied with the nurse specialist's attention to fatigue than with the attention from the rheumatologist. CONCLUSIONS Fatigue is not structurally communicated at the rheumatology out-patient clinic and exploring and acknowledging communication techniques can help patients to express their concerns about fatigue. CONCLUSIONS Healthcare professionals must recognise fatigue as a severe problem for RA patients and start the conversation on fatigue instead of waiting for the patient to mention fatigue spontaneously.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009723	Nurse-Patient Relations	Interaction between the patient and nurse.	Nurse Patient Relations,Nurse Patient Relationship,Nurse Patient Relationships,Nurse-Patient Relation,Patient Relations, Nurse,Patient Relationship, Nurse,Patient Relationships, Nurse,Relations, Nurse Patient,Relations, Nurse-Patient,Relationship, Nurse Patient,Relationships, Nurse Patient
D010044	Outpatient Clinics, Hospital	Organized services in a hospital which provide medical care on an outpatient basis.	Ambulatory Care Facilities, Hospital,Hospital Outpatient Clinics,Clinic, Hospital Outpatient,Clinics, Hospital Outpatient,Hospital Outpatient Clinic,Outpatient Clinic, Hospital
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003142	Communication	The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups.	Miscommunication,Misinformation,Social Communication,Communication Programs,Communications Personnel,Personal Communication,Communication Program,Communication, Personal,Communication, Social,Communications, Social,Miscommunications,Misinformations,Personnel, Communications,Program, Communication,Programs, Communication,Social Communications
D005221	Fatigue	The state of weariness following a period of exertion, mental or physical, characterized by a decreased capacity for work and reduced efficiency to respond to stimuli.	Lassitude
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man