Patient-physician concordance and discordance in gynecology: do physicians identify patients' reasons for visit and do patients understand physicians' actions?

Examining Different Factors in Web-Based Patients' Decision-Making Process: Systematic Review on Digital Platforms for Clinical Decision Support System

(1) Background: The appearance of physician rating websites (PRWs) has raised researchers’ interest in the online healthcare field, particularly how users consume information available on PRWs in terms of online physician reviews and providers’ information in their decision-making process. The aim of this study is to consistently review the early scientific literature related to digital healthcare platforms, summarize key findings and study features, identify literature deficiencies, and suggest digital solutions for future research. (2) Methods: A systematic literature review using key databases was conducted to search published articles between 2010 and 2020 and identified 52 papers that focused on PRWs, different signals in the form of PRWs’ features, the findings of these studies, and peer-reviewed articles. The research features and main findings are reported in tables and figures. (3) Results: The review of 52 papers identified 22 articles for online reputation, 15 for service popularity, 16 for linguistic features, 15 for doctor–patient concordance, 7 for offline reputation, and 11 for trustworthiness signals. Out of 52 studies, 75% used quantitative techniques, 12% employed qualitative techniques, and 13% were mixed-methods investigations. The majority of studies retrieved larger datasets using machine learning techniques (44/52). These studies were mostly conducted in China (38), the United States (9), and Europe (3). The majority of signals were positively related to the clinical outcomes. Few studies used conventional surveys of patient treatment experience (5, 9.61%), and few used panel data (9, 17%). These studies found a high degree of correlation between these signals with clinical outcomes. (4) Conclusions: PRWs contain valuable signals that provide insights into the service quality and patient treatment choice, yet it has not been extensively used for evaluating the quality of care. This study offers implications for researchers to consider digital solutions such as advanced machine learning and data mining techniques to test hypotheses regarding a variety of signals on PRWs for clinical decision-making.

Agreement of physician and patient ratings of communication in medical encounters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interrater agreement

OBJECTIVE

To determine the agreement of physician and patient ratings of communication in medical face-to-face consultations.

METHODS

A systematic search of twelve databases was conducted. Studies investigating agreement between physician and patient ratings of communication in medical face-to-face encounters and reporting interrater agreement were included. Methodological quality was assessed, and study characteristics and physician-patient agreement were narratively summarized. Meta-analysis was conducted for a subsample of the included studies investigating shared decision making.

RESULTS

Of the 17 included studies, ten studies did not demonstrate any correspondence between physician and patient ratings. The remaining seven studies revealed poor to fair absolute agreement (κ between .13 and .42; κ_w between .31 and .49; 95% CI 0.13 - 0.76) and poor to moderate consistency (r = .17 and .06; r_polyc between .39 and .63; p < .05). Meta-analysis of six studies yielded small association (r_polyc = .15).

CONCLUSION

Physicians and patients evaluate communication differently and at best, only slightly agree in their ratings, indicating that the construct of communication is not measurable in a stable manner.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Decision makers and researchers should be aware that they assess different aspects of communication, depending on the perspective examined. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019120065.

Talking about sexual health during survivorship: understanding what shapes breast cancer survivors' willingness to communicate with providers

PURPOSE

Breast cancer survivor (BCS)-provider communication about sexual health (SH) is often absent or inadequate. Patients report wanting providers to broach the topic, but providers cite barriers to initiating discussions. While the health care community works to address barriers, it is unrealistic to rely solely on provider initiation of SH conversations. This research investigates willingness to communicate about sexual health (WTCSH) to better understand what may interfere with survivors' ability to self-advocate and receive care for these concerns.

METHODS

(N = 305) BCSs completed online surveys. Hierarchical multiple regression determined the relationship between Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F), which measures psychological and social dimensions of SH and WTCSH. Interviews were then conducted with forty BCSs. The constant comparative method was used to thematically analyze the transcripts.

RESULTS

The mean SQOL score was 53.4 out of 100. No statistically significant differences in SQOL or WTCSH were found by age or survivorship length. The positive relationship between WTCSH and SQOL was significant, F (6,266) = 4.92, p < .000, adj. R² = .080). Five themes illustrated factors that shape WTCSH: (1) comfort discussing SH; (2) perception of demographic similarity/discordance; (3) patient-centered communication; (4) belief that SH is (un)treatable, and (5) ability to access timely/coordinated care.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings establish the significance of SH concerns and provide an in-depth understanding of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational issues informing WTCSH.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Age and gender dynamics, perceptions of provider SQOL messaging, and futility influence survivor openness. Addressing these areas may encourage disclosure among women who would otherwise continue to suffer in silence.

Impact of Physician-Patient Communication in Online Health Communities on Patient Compliance: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

Background

In China, the utilization of medical resources is tense, and most hospitals are highly congested because of the large population and uneven distribution of medical resources. Online health communities (OHCs) play an important role in alleviating hospital congestions, thereby improving the utilization of medical resources and relieving medical resource shortages. OHCs have positive effects on physician-patient relationships and health outcomes. Moreover, as one of the main ways for patients to seek health-related information in OHCs, physician-patient communication may affect patient compliance in various ways. In consideration of the inevitable development of OHCs, although they have several shortcomings, identifying how physician-patient communication can impact patient compliance is important to improve patients’ health outcomes through OHCs.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the impact of physician-patient communication on patient compliance in OHCs through the mediation of the perceived quality of internet health information, decision-making preference, and physician-patient concordance, using an empirical study based on the self-determination theory.

Methods

A research model was established, including 1 independent variable (physician-patient communication), 3 mediators (perceived quality of internet health information, decision-making preference, and physician-patient concordance), 1 dependent variable (patient compliance), and 4 control variables (age, gender, living area, and education level). Furthermore, a Web-based survey involving 423 valid responses was conducted in China to collect data, and structural equation modeling and partial least squares were adopted to analyze data and test the hypotheses.

Results

The questionnaire response rate was 79.2% (487/615) and the validity rate was 86.9% (423/487); reliability and validity are acceptable. The communication between physicians and patients in OHCs positively affects patient compliance through the mediation of the perceived quality of internet health information, decision-making preference, and physician-patient concordance. Moreover, physician-patient communication exhibits similar impacts on the perceived quality of internet health information, decision-making preference, and physician-patient concordance. Patients’ decision-making preference shows the weakest impact on patient compliance compared with the other 2 mediators. Ultimately, all 3 mediators play a partially mediating role between physician-patient communication and patient compliance.

Conclusions

We conclude that physician-patient communication in OHCs exhibits a positive impact on patient compliance; thus, patient compliance can be improved by guiding physician-patient communication in OHCs. Furthermore, our findings suggest that physicians can share high-quality health information with patients, discuss benefits, risks, and costs of treatment options with patients, encourage patients to express their attitudes and participate in health-related decision making, and strengthen the emotional connection with patients in OHCs, thereby decreasing patients’ misunderstanding of information and increasing concordance between physicians and patients. OHCs are required to not only strengthen the management of their published health information quality but also understand users’ actual attitudes toward information quality and then try to reduce the gap between the perceived and actual quality of information.

Why are you here again? Concordance between consumers and providers about the primary concern in recurring psychiatric visits

Patient-centered care has become increasingly important over the last decade, both in physical and mental health care. In support of patient-centered care, providers need to understand consumers׳ primary concerns during treatment visits. The current study explored what primary concerns were brought to recurring psychiatric visits for a sample of adults with severe mental illness (N=164), whether these concerns were concordant with those recognized by providers, and which factors predicted concordance. We identified 17 types of primary concerns, most commonly medications and symptoms, with only 50% of visits showing evidence of at least partial agreement between consumers and providers. Contrary to expectations, consumer demographics, activation, trust, and perceptions of patient-centeredness were not predictive, while greater preferences for autonomy predicted poorer agreement. Our findings highlight the need for interventions to promote a shared understanding of primary concerns in recurring psychiatric visits. Further attention is needed to ensure the provision of patient-centered care such that consumer concerns are acknowledged and addressed within recurring psychiatric visits.