A communication skills intervention for parents of pediatric surgery patients

Reducing preoperative anxiety in parents of surgical patients

Aims and objectives

To investigate preoperative anxiety in parents of paediatric surgical patients, testing whether the provision of information (using video and story books) regarding the surgical process can impact on reducing anxiety. Analyse if any personal factors influence the reduction of anxiety.

Background

Attending a surgical theatre generates anxiety, especially in the case of children. The effect of different preoperative intervention procedures in children that attempt to reduce their anxiety level have been studied a great deal. However, although their parents also suffer high levels of anxiety, potential intervention to reduce their levels has not received the same attention.

Study design

Randomised Clinical trial.

Methods

One hundred and twenty-five parents of children (8-12 y.o.) undergoing surgery in a public hospital were randomly assigned to the control group CG (34 individuals) or one of the 3 experimental groups EG (91). In this Randomised Controlled Study, children and parents of the experimental groups were provided with a story book, a video with additional information of nursing, or both. Prior to the surgical intervention, the State Anxiety, S-A, and Trait Anxiety, T-A, of the parents and children were measured using the STAI and STAIC questionnaires respectively. Data collection was carried out for 12 months starting in October 2016.

Results

Parents' S-A in the control group was higher than in the experimental groups. A linear model explains the parents' S-A using as regressors: children S-A, age and T-A of the parents, and children age.

Conclusions

Providing information about the surgical process (through stories or videos) to which a child is going to be subjected can reduce the anxiety of the parents.

Relevance to clinical practice

Given their close connection to the patient and the potential effects on the children of their psychological situation, healthcare professionals should consider paying greater attention to communicating with the parents.

Family risk communication preferences in pediatric surgery: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Effective patient-surgeon communication is vital in pediatric surgical practice. However, family (including child) preferences for the format and content of risk communication information are largely unknown. In order to optimize the shared-decision making process, this scoping review explored the family-preferred methods for risk communication in pediatric surgery.

METHODS

A search was conducted in 7 databases from inception until June 2020 to identify family risk communication preferences in pediatric surgical patients, with language restricted to English and French. Two independent reviewers completed the screening in Rayyan software following PRISMA protocol. Included publications were reviewed for data extraction, analyzed, and assessed for risk of bias using standardized instruments.

RESULTS

A total of 6370 publications were retrieved, out of which 70 were included. Studies were predominantly from ENT (30.0%), general surgery (15.7%), and urology (11.4%). Family-preferred risk communication methods were classified as visual, verbal, technology-based, written, decision aids or other. Technological (32.4%) and written tools (29.7%) were most commonly chosen by families as their preferred risk communication methods. Written tools were frequently used in general surgery and urology, while technology-based tools were widely used in ENT. Most studies were cross-sectional and had a significant risk of bias.

CONCLUSION

Eliciting families' preferences for risk communication methods is critical for the implementation of shared decision-making. Different risk communication media appear to be preferred within specific surgical domains. To further improve shared-decision making in pediatric surgery, the development and usage of robust, validated risk communication tools are necessary.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV (Scoping Review).

How paediatricians communicate with parents who access online health information

AIMS

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the proportion of parents searching for online health information on their child's medical condition. We investigated the experiences, attitudes and approaches of paediatricians interacting with parents who search for online health information and the impact on the doctor-parent relationship.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted utilising semi-structured interviews with 17 paediatric physicians, surgeons, anaesthetists and trainees working in an Australian children's hospital. Data were analysed through deductive and inductive thematic analysis using line-by-line coding.

RESULTS

Three key themes were identified: paediatricians' experiences with, and attitudes towards, parents using online health information; paediatricians' communication approaches; and the perceived impact on the doctor-parent relationship. These themes demonstrated that most paediatricians acknowledged the information parents found and directed parents to reliable websites. Following discussions with Internet-informed parents, a few changed their management plans and a few reported discouraging parents from further searching online.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that paediatricians predominantly used patient-centred communication strategies to care for patients in partnership with parents. Paediatricians contextualising online health information can contribute to a quality partnership with parents and facilitate shared decision-making, potentially fostering better health outcomes for children. Our conclusions may inform clinicians' communication approaches when interacting with Internet-informed parents and stimulate research about more effective doctor-parent communication approaches. In a digital age, paediatricians may benefit from employing more time-efficient approaches to manage increasing workloads with their new role of digital stewardship of parents.

Understanding the effectiveness of consent processes and conversations in pediatric surgery: A systematic-scoping review

BACKGROUND

The consent conversation in pediatric surgery is an essential part of pre-operative care which, when inadequate, can lead to significant adverse consequences for the child, parents, surgeon, other healthcare workers and the healthcare system. We reviewed the published literature on what key stakeholders perceive are the components of effective and ineffective consenting processes in pediatric surgery.

METHODS

A medical librarian searched seven databases to retrieve articles looking at the informed consenting process in surgical care for the pediatric population. Two independent reviewers screened all publications and categorized them by stakeholder perspectives (patient/family, surgical team, other healthcare team, and hospital administration or policy maker). General study characteristics, interventions to improve consent and features of effective and ineffective consent conversations were extracted.

RESULTS

5079 titles and abstracts were screened, resulting in 88 full-text studies and 43 articles included in the final review. Most publications (51%) discussed informed consent only from the patient/family perspective, while 21% added surgeon's perspective. No study approached the consenting process from the perspective of all stakeholder groups. Effective consent components identified included use of multimedia, presence of multiple conversations prior to surgery, and individualized communication catered to unique family knowledge and needs. In contrast, ineffective conversations did not include a clear assessment of parental understanding, delivered too much information, and did not address parental anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature on the consenting process in pediatric surgery is narrow in stakeholder perspectives. Our findings highlight gaps in the literature and opportunities to improve the informed consent processes prior to pediatric surgery.

Question prompt lists to improve communication between cancer patients and healthcare professionals

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This literature review sets out to summarize knowledge on the impact of question prompt lists (QPLs) on patient-physician communication in oncology and to provide an account of current research on the development, adaptation, and implementation of this type of communication tool.

RECENT FINDINGS

Provided with a QPL, patients seem to ask more questions, in particular on sensitive issues like those around the end-of-life period and they recall the information provided better. There is a need to adapt QPLs, taking account of divergences in attitudes towards illness, participation in decision-making, and discussions about the illness prognosis across cultures. QPLs may also need to be tailored to specific concerns of patients at the different stages in the care trajectory and to the particularities of each cancer type. These adaptations contribute to the effectiveness of the tool because they make it possible to tailor it to the challenges and constraints experienced in clinical practice.

SUMMARY

QPLs are designed to enhance patients' communication with their physicians. Further research is required to develop QPLs suited to each cultural and clinical setting, involving health professionals so as to facilitate the implementation of these tools in routine practice.

Towards a more patient-centered clinical trial process: A systematic review of interventions incorporating health literacy best practices

BACKGROUND

A 2019 public workshop convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Roundtable on Health Literacy identified a need to develop evidence-based guidance for best practices for health literacy and patient activation in clinical trials.

PURPOSE

To identify studies of health literacy interventions within medical care or clinical trial settings that were associated with improved measures of health literacy or patient activation, to help inform best practices in the clinical trial process.

DATA SOURCES

Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SCOPUS, Cochrane, and Web of Science from January 2009 to June 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Of 3592 records screened, 22 records investigating 27 unique health literacy interventions in randomized controlled studies were included for qualitative synthesis.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data screening and abstraction were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Types of health literacy interventions were multimedia or technology-based (11 studies), simplification of written material (six studies) and in-person sessions (five studies). These interventions were applied at various stages in the healthcare and clinical trial process. All studies used unique outcome measures, including patient comprehension, quality of informed consent, and patient activation and engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of our study suggest that best practice guidelines recommend health literacy interventions during the clinical trial process, presentation of information in multiple forms, involvement of patients in information optimization, and improved standardization in health literacy outcome measures.

Novel Way to Improve Satisfaction, Comprehension, and Anxiety in Caregivers: A Randomized Trial Exploring the Use of Comprehensive, Illustrated Children's Books for Pediatric Surgical Populations

BACKGROUND

Surgery generates anxiety and stress, which can negatively impact informed consent and postoperative outcomes. This study assessed whether educational, illustrated children's books improve comprehension, satisfaction, and anxiety of caregivers in pediatric surgical populations.

METHODS

A prospective randomized trial was initiated at a tertiary care children's hospital. All patients ≤ 18 years old with caregiver and diagnosis of 1) uncomplicated appendicitis (English or Spanish speaking); 2) ruptured appendicitis; 3) pyloric stenosis; 4) need for gastrostomy tube; or 5) umbilical hernia were eligible. Conventional consent was obtained followed by completion of 17 validated survey questions addressing apprehension, satisfaction, and comprehension. Randomization (2:1) occurred after consent and before operative intervention with the experimental group (EG) receiving an illustrated comprehensive children's book outlining anatomy, pathophysiology, hospital course, and postoperative care. A second identical survey was completed before discharge. Primary outcomes were caregiver apprehension, satisfaction, and comprehension.

RESULTS

Eighty caregivers were included (55: EG, 25: control group [CG]). There were no significant differences in patient or caregiver demographics between groups. The baseline survey demonstrated no difference in comprehension, satisfaction, or apprehension between groups (all p values NS). After intervention, EG had significant improvement in 14 of 17 questions compared with CG (all p < 0.05). When tabulated by content, there was significant improvement in comprehension (p = 0.0009), satisfaction (p < 0.0001), and apprehension (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The use of illustrated educational children's books to explain pathophysiology and surgical care is a novel method to improve comprehension, satisfaction, and anxiety of caregivers. This could benefit informed consent, understanding, and postoperative outcomes.

Helping Patients Communicate With Oncologists When Cancer Treatment Resistance Occurs to Develop, Test, and Implement a Patient Communication Aid: Sequential Collaborative Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Most cancer-related deaths result from disseminated diseases that develop resistance to anticancer treatments. Inappropriate communication in this challenging situation may result in unmet patient information and support needs. Patient communication aids such as question prompt lists (QPLs) may help.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to develop and pilot-test a specific QPL in the following two contrasting clinical contexts in France after cancer resistance has developed: triple-negative and luminal B metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM).

METHODS

A sequential study design with a mixed methods collaborative approach will be applied. The first step aims to build a specific QPL. Step 1a will explore oncologist-patient communication issues from oncology professionals' interviews (n=20 approximately). Step 1b will appraise information and support needs experienced by patients with MBC or MUM both quantitatively (n=80) and qualitatively (n=40 approximately). These data will be used to develop and pilot-test a QPL specific to patients with cancer experiencing initial or acquired resistance to treatment. We expect to obtain a core QPL that comprises questions and concerns commonly expressed by patients with resistant cancer and is complemented by specific issues for either MBC or MUM cancer sites. In step 1c, 2 focus groups of patients with any type of metastatic cancer (n=4) and health care professionals (n=4) will be conducted to revise the content of a preliminary QPL and elaborate an acceptable and feasible clinical implementation. In step 1d, the content of the QPL version 1 and implementation guidance will be validated using a Delphi process. Step 2 will pilot-test the QPL version 1 in real practice with patients with MBC or MUM (n=80). Clinical utility will be assessed by comparing responses to questionnaires administered in step 1b (QPL-naive historical control group) and step 2 (QPL intervention group).

RESULTS

This study received grants in March and December 2019 and was approved by the French national ethics committee in July 2019. As of October 2021, interviews with oncology professionals have been conducted and analyzed (N=26 to reach saturation), and 39 and 27 patients with MBC and MUM, respectively, have been recruited.

CONCLUSIONS

A clinically and culturally tailored QPL is expected to facilitate patients' participation in consultations, improve oncologists' responses to patients' information and support needs, and thus foster patients' psychological adjustment to the diagnosis and follow-up of cancer resistance to treatment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04118062; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04118062.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/26414.

The Current State of Doctors' Communication Skills in Mainland China from the Perspective of Doctors' Self-evaluation and Patients' Evaluation: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess doctors' communication skills in mainland China using the SEGUE Framework.

METHODS

A survey on doctors' communication skills with doctors (n = 1361) and patients (n = 1757) from 14 provinces in eastern, central and western China was conducted.

RESULTS

The doctors' self-evaluation scores were higher than patients' evaluations (p < .001). The scores of female doctors were higher than males (p = .022). Both doctors' self-evaluations and patients' evaluations indicated that the scores of doctors in tertiary hospitals were higher than those in primary hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Doctors' communication skills don't match patients' needs. Female doctors are more empathetic and patient than male doctors and consequently have better communication skills. Doctors in tertiary hospitals have better communication skills because tertiary hospitals provide more training opportunities in communication skills and have better medical services and management.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study confirms the applicability of the SEGUE Framework to doctors and patients in mainland China. The effectiveness of cultivating doctors' communication skills should be evaluated through feedback from the perspective of both doctors and patients. Medical institutes need to prioritize patients' needs and provide training in doctors' communication skills to address the discrepancy in the perceptions of doctors and patients.

Parental anxiety in pediatric surgery consultations: the role of health literacy and need for information

INTRODUCTION

Although important, parental anxiety, health literacy and need-for-information in pediatric surgery outpatient clinics have not been extensively studied. Lower educational attainments, minorities and lower socioeconomic status have been associated with limited health literacy. Parental anxiety has been related to health literacy, sex, education and information needs. The aim of this study is to investigate health literacy and need-for-information and their association to parental anxiety in consultations of pediatric surgery.

MATERIALS & METHODS

We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study in the outpatient pediatric surgery clinic from December 2016 to October 2017. Health literacy, anxiety and need-for-information of parents/guardians of children waiting for pediatric surgical consultation were evaluated. Multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the impact of health literacy and need-for-information on parental/guardian anxiety considering sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants.

RESULTS

Almost half (46.1%) of the 664 parents/guardians recruited had limited or problematic health literacy and 79.8% of the sample was classified as being anxious. Parental/guardian anxiety was associated at the multiple regression analysis with parental health literacy level (β = -0.282, p < 0.001), need-for-information preoperatively (β = 0.907, p < 0.001), educational level (β = -0.716, p = 0.001), sex (β = 1.563, p < 0.001), and severity of the condition of the child (β = 0.379, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Parents/guardians experience high levels of anxiety, which is associated to health literacy and need-for-information. These factors should be considered in pediatric surgical consultations, aiming to reduce parental anxiety.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II.

Child/youth, family and public engagement in paediatric services in high-income countries: A systematic scoping review

Background

Patient and public engagement in paediatric health‐care decision making is under‐researched, and there is a lack of systematically reviewed literature in this area.

Objective

To examine the extent, range and nature of published research investigating the engagement of children/youth, families and the public in paediatric service improvement, to summarize key aspects of the research identified and to identify gaps to help inform future research needs.

Methods

Literature was sought in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Eligible articles presented research focused on patient, family and public engagement strategies in the paediatric health‐care setting. Two reviewers extracted and charted data and analysed findings using a descriptive numerical summary analysis and a thematic analysis.

Results

From 4331 articles, 21 were eligible. Most were from the United States. The majority of studies were undertaken in hospital settings and used quantitative methods. Various patient and public engagement strategies/interventions were examined, including shared decision‐making tools, questionnaires, youth councils/family advisory groups, patient portals and online networks. Most of the studies examined child/youth/parent satisfaction, with fewer investigating treatment outcomes or service improvement. The majority of studies investigated an engagement strategy at the ‘individual treatment’ level of engagement. Regarding the continuum of engagement, most of the studies were at either the ‘consultation’ or ‘involvement’ stage.

Conclusion

Future research needs to focus on the investigation of engagement strategies delivered in primary care, and the use of more qualitative and mixed methods approaches is recommended. There is a gap in the area of engagement strategies directed towards ‘service design and resources’ and ‘macro/policy’ levels.

No question too small: development of a question prompt list for parents of critically ill infants

OBJECTIVE

To develop a question prompt list tailored to the needs of parents of critically ill infants at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment.

STUDY DESIGN

Question content was derived from audio-recorded neonatal intensive care unit family meetings and interviews with parents of infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Question content was refined using clinician focus groups. Acceptability testing was performed with parents and clinicians caring for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

RESULTS

All clinicians and parents found the QPL content acceptable. Parents universally endorsed that the question prompt list was useful to them and would help them prepare for a meeting with their infant's healthcare team.

CONCLUSION

This question prompt list, designed for parents of critically ill infants, is acceptable to parents and clinicians, and can be used in the acute neonatal course to facilitate parent engagement in family meetings.

Promoting patient participation in healthcare interactions through communication skills training: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To present literature on training patients in the use of effective communication skills.

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted in six databases. References were screened for inclusion through several phases. Extracted data included intervention study design, sample characteristics, content and structure of training programs, outcomes assessed, and findings reported.

RESULTS

A total of 32 unique intervention studies were included. Most targeted primary care or cancer patients and used a randomized controlled study design. Interventions used a variety of training formats and modes of delivering educational material. Reported findings suggest that communication training is an effective approach to increase patients' total level of active participation in healthcare interactions and that some communication behaviors may be more amenable to training (e.g., expressing concerns). Trained patients do not have longer visits and tend to receive more information from their providers. Most studies have found no relationship between communication training and improved health, psychosocial wellbeing, or treatment-related outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings reinforce the importance and potential benefits of patient communication training.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Additional research is warranted to determine the most efficacious training programs with the strongest potential for dissemination.

Parent Perceptions of How Nurse Encounters Can Provide Caring Support for the Family in Early Acute Care After Children's Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE

A child's severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) creates a family crisis requiring extensive cultural, informational, psychological, and environmental support. Nurses need to understand parents' expectations of caring in early acute care so they can tailor their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors appropriately to accommodate the family's needs.

METHODS

In a previous qualitative study of 42 parents or caregivers from 37 families of children with moderate-to-severe TBI, parents of children with severe TBI (n = 25) described their appraisals of nurse caring and uncaring behaviors in early acute care. Swanson's theory of caring was used to categorize parents' descriptions to inform nursing early acute care practices and family-centered care.

RESULTS

Caring nurse encounters included (a) involving parents in the care of their child and reflecting on all sociocultural factors shaping family resources and responses (knowing); (b) respecting that family grief can be co-mingled with resilience and that parents are typically competent to be involved in decision making (maintaining belief); (d) actively listening and engaging parents to fully understand family values and needs (being with); (e) decreasing parents' workload to get information and emotional support and provide a safe cultural, psychological, and physical environment for the family (doing for); and (f) providing anticipatory guidance to navigate the early acute care system and giving assistance to learn and adjust to their situation (enabling).

CONCLUSION

Application of Swanson's caring theory is prescriptive in helping individual nurses and early acute care systems to meet important family needs after children's severe TBI.

Barriers to Clinical Trial Enrollment in Racial and Ethnic Minority Patients With Cancer

BACKGROUND

Clinical trials that study cancer are essential for testing the safety and effectiveness of promising treatments, but most people with cancer never enroll in a clinical trial - a challenge exemplified in racial and ethnic minorities. Underenrollment of racial and ethnic minorities reduces the generalizability of research findings and represents a disparity in access to high-quality health care.

METHODS

Using a multilevel model as a framework, potential barriers to trial enrollment of racial and ethnic minorities were identified at system, individual, and interpersonal levels. Exactly how each level directly or indirectly contributes to doctor-patient communication was also reviewed. Selected examples of implemented interventions are included to help address these barriers. We then propose our own evidence-based intervention addressing barriers at the individual and interpersonal levels.

RESULTS

Barriers to enrolling a diverse population of patients in clinical trials are complex and multilevel. Interventions focused at each level have been relatively successful, but multilevel interventions have the greatest potential for success.

CONCLUSION

To increase the enrollment of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials, future interventions should address barriers at multiple levels.

The impact of health literacy in the care of surgical patients: a qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Inadequate health literacy affects more than 90 million Americans and it has been associated with adverse outcomes in the medicine field including increased hospitalization rates and greater mortality. Since surgical patients are often required to make complex decisions and adhere to complex instructions, health literacy may have a profound impact in the surgical practice. The main objective of the current study was to systematically evaluate the role of health literacy in surgical patients.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed to identify studies that evaluated the role of health literacy in the perioperative setting following the PRISMA guidelines. Only studies that examined health literacy using a validated instrument in the perioperative setting were included.

RESULTS

Ten studies including data on 1147 patients were included. The median (IQR) number of patients in the included studies was 101 (30 to 152). The majority of studies used the Short Test of Functional Literacy in adults (STOFHLA) to evaluate patients' health literacy. Five studies evaluated the patients preoperatively, four studies evaluated patients in the postoperative period and in one study the time of evaluation in relation to the surgical procedure was not defined. The lowest prevalence of inadequate health literacy was detected in kidney transplant patients, 6 out of 124 (5 %), while the highest prevalence of inadequate health literacy was detected in orthopedic patients having total joint replacement, 86 out of 126 (60 %). Inadequate health literacy in the preoperative period was associated with poor medical information comprehension and it may adversely affect adherence to preoperative medications and even modulate surgical disparities. Inadequate health literacy in the postoperative period was associated with poor comprehension of discharge instructions and worse kidney function in transplant recipients.

CONCLUSIONS

Health literacy seems to have a very significant impact in the care of surgical patients. More studies to establish the impact of poor health literacy on perioperative outcomes are needed.

Patient perspectives on online health information and communication with doctors: a qualitative study of patients 50 years old and over

Background

As health care systems around the world shift toward models that emphasize self-care management, there is increasing pressure for patients to obtain health information online. It is critical that patients are able to identify potential problems with using the Internet to diagnose and treat a health issue and that they feel comfortable communicating with their doctor about the health information they acquire from the Internet.

Objective

Our aim was to examine patient-identified (1) problems with using the Internet to identify and treat a health issue, (2) barriers to communication with a doctor about online health information seeking, and (3) facilitators of communication with a doctor about patient searches for health information on the Internet.

Methods

For this qualitative exploratory study, semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of 56 adults age 50 years old and over. General concerns regarding use of the Internet to diagnose and treat a health issue were examined separately for participants based on whether they had ever discussed health information obtained through the Internet with a doctor. Discussions about barriers to and facilitators of communication about patient searches for health information on the Internet with a doctor were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Six higher-level general concerns emerged: (1) limitations in own ability, (2) credibility/limitations of online information, (3) anxiety, (4) time consumption, (5) conflict, and (6) non-physical harm. The most prevalent concern raised by participants who communicated with a doctor about their online health information seeking related to the credibility or limitations in online information. Participants who had never communicated with a doctor about their online health information seeking most commonly reported concerns about non-physical harm. Four barriers to communication emerged: (1) concerns about embarrassment, (2) concerns that the doctor doesn’t want to hear about it, (3) belief that there is no need to bring it up, and (4) forgetting to bring it up. Facilitators of communication included: (1) having a family member present at doctor visits, (2) doctor-initiated inquiries, and (3) encountering an advertisement that suggested talking with a doctor.

Conclusions

Overall, participants displayed awareness of potential problems related to online health information seeking. Findings from this study point to a set of barriers as well as facilitators of communication about online health information seeking between patients and doctors. This study highlights the need for enhanced patient communication skills, eHealth literacy assessments that are accompanied by targeted resources pointing individuals to high-quality credible online health information, and the need to remind patients of the importance of consulting a medical professional when they use online health resources to diagnose and treat a health issue.