Biomaterial Database

A communication skills programme for increasing patients' satisfaction with general practice consultations. 1987

B J Evans, and F D Kiellerup, and R O Stanley, and G D Burrows, and B Sweet

Department of Psychiatry, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Australia.

The research literature on patient perceptions of general practice consultations shows that, while patients are generally satisfied with the treatment they receive from doctors, they report less satisfaction with the amount and clarity of information they receive and doctors' expression of caring and respect. In the surgery, inadequate information transmission during the interaction also has the effect of increasing the level of anxiety reported by patients after their consultations. A communication skills programme was developed, incorporating variables from both the emotional and cognitive domains of the consultation. A group of GPs undertook training in this programme. It was hypothesized that patients of the trained doctors would report greater satisfaction and less anxiety, compared with patients of untrained general practitioners. Subsequent randomized interviews with patients of the trained doctors showed that these patients were significantly more satisfied with their consultations. Patients of the trained doctors also reported less state anxiety immediately following their consultations, as measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Attempts by doctors to communicate more effectively in consultations therefore increased patients' positive feelings and reduced anxiety.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010349	Patient Compliance	Voluntary cooperation of the patient in following a prescribed regimen.	Client Adherence,Client Compliance,Non-Adherent Patient,Patient Adherence,Patient Cooperation,Patient Noncompliance,Patient Non-Adherence,Patient Non-Compliance,Patient Nonadherence,Therapeutic Compliance,Treatment Compliance,Adherence, Client,Adherence, Patient,Client Compliances,Compliance, Client,Compliance, Patient,Compliance, Therapeutic,Compliance, Treatment,Cooperation, Patient,Non Adherent Patient,Non-Adherence, Patient,Non-Adherent Patients,Non-Compliance, Patient,Nonadherence, Patient,Noncompliance, Patient,Patient Non Adherence,Patient Non Compliance,Patient, Non-Adherent,Therapeutic Compliances,Treatment Compliances
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
D012017	Referral and Consultation	The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.	Consultation,Gatekeepers, Health Service,Hospital Referral,Second Opinion,Consultation and Referral,Health Service Gatekeepers,Hospital Referrals,Referral,Referral, Hospital,Referrals, Hospital,Consultations,Gatekeeper, Health Service,Health Service Gatekeeper,Opinion, Second,Opinions, Second,Referrals,Second Opinions
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
D003258	Consumer Behavior	Behavior associated with the procurement of goods, services, or experiences.	Consumer Preference,Consumer Satisfaction,Behavior, Consumer,Behaviors, Consumer,Consumer Behaviors,Consumer Preferences,Preference, Consumer,Preferences, Consumer,Satisfaction, Consumer
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man