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Do you have any questions? An analysis of question asking patterns in surgical outpatient consultations
Author(s) -
Ting Ying Yang,
Reid Jessica L.,
Treloar Ellie,
Lee Wei Shan Bobby,
Tee Jeeng Yeeng,
Cong Wen Jing Phoebe,
Peng Dangyi,
Edwards Suzanne,
Ey Jesse,
Edwardes Nicholas,
Granchi Nelson,
Maddern Guy J.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/ans.17642
Subject(s) - medicine , coaching , observational study , family medicine , health care , nursing , psychology , pathology , economics , psychotherapist , economic growth
Background Patient centred communication ensures patients are well informed and educated, which is vital to providing the best care possible. By asking questions, patients can better understand their disease and make informed decisions regarding their health journey. We aimed to investigate factors that affect question asking behaviours in surgical outpatient consultations and to determine the typical question‐asking by doctors, patients, and their companions. Methods This is an observational cross‐sectional study, where 182 video recordings of surgical consultations in the surgical outpatient setting at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia were reviewed. Results A total of 3472 questions were asked. Most questions were asked by the surgeon, followed by the patient, and if present, their companion. Pre‐surgical consultations resulted in the most questions asked by the patients, compared to post‐surgical or follow‐up consultations. When companions were present, patients asked more questions in consultants regarding malignant conditions. Interruptions increased the number of questions asked by the patient and their companion. Questions were commonly asked to clarify information given by the surgeon and often regarded the cause of the illness and the timing of the next step in disease management. Conclusion Patients are generally interested in their health and ask questions during consultations. Companions have a positive effect on patient question asking behaviour and their presence in surgical consultations should be encouraged. Surgeons should develop strategies to encourage question asking and could review their own behaviours via surgical coaching and video review.