首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
检索        


Measuring patient perceptions of surgeon communication performance in the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer using the communication assessment tool
Authors:Max A Schumm  Roben Ohev-Shalom  Dalena T Nguyen  Jiyoon Kim  Chi-Hong Tseng  Kyle A Zanocco
Institution:1. Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA;2. Section of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA;3. Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA;4. Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Abstract:BackgroundThyroid surgeons are offering their patients less aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic management strategies for thyroid nodules and low-risk thyroid cancer in an effort to decrease overdiagnosis and overtreatment of indolent disease. Explaining the rationale for less aggressive management plans requires physicians to be effective communicators. We aimed to assess the communication skills of thyroid surgeons with the Makoul Communication Assessment Tool and to identify risk factors for poor communication.MethodsNew adult patients with thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer presenting to a single tertiary-referral endocrine surgery clinic were enrolled from July 2018 through December 2019. Patients were administered the Communication Assessment Tool immediately after their clinical encounter. Outlier communication scores were identified, and clinical characteristics were compared between outlier and nonoutlier groups.ResultsA total of 107 patients completed the Communication Assessment Tool. Mean (standard deviation) total and top box scores were 67 (6) and 86% (29%), respectively. Twenty-five patients (23%) were in the low-outlier group, defined by a total score below 67.5/70 or top box score below 82.25%. Other race and non-Hispanic patients (versus white race) were more likely low outliers (odds ratio 3.58, P = .048). The lowest scoring Communication Assessment Tool item overall was “the doctor encouraged me to ask questions” (78.5% top box).ConclusionWe found communication to be perceived as excellent in the majority of patients; however, an opportunity for improvement was identified in 29% of participants. Significant differences in race and ethnicity between low outlier and nonoutlier communication score patients were observed, which warrants additional investigation. These findings support the utility of the Communication Assessment Tool in studying the effectiveness of communication improvement initiatives.
Keywords:
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录!
设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号