Effects of Physician Communication and Family Hardiness on Patient Medication Regimen Beliefs and Adherence

A Review of Psychosocial Factors of Marfan Syndrome: Adolescents, Adults, Families, and Providers

The purpose of this article was to review the current literature on psychosocial implications of Marfan syndrome (MFS) and its impact on adolescents, adults, their families and to provide important considerations for providers. Since the previous reviews in 2015, numerous studies have been published that are included in the current review. This literature review was conducted using PubMed, Medline, PsychINFO, ERIC, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier databases and only articles that studied psychosocial factors that influence MFS patients as adolescents, adults, family members, or their interactions with providers were included in this review. Of the 522 articles reviewed, 41 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All articles were peer-reviewed. MFS has various implications that can impact one's life; studies have shown that MFS causes a negative impact on an individual's formative years, quality of life, reproductive decision-making, work participation, and satisfaction with life. Clinicians and multidisciplinary teams should be aware of these factors to provide support focusing on coping strategies for the patient and their family.

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.

Study protocol for investigating physician communication behaviours that link physician implicit racial bias and patient outcomes in Black patients with type 2 diabetes using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design

INTRODUCTION

Patient-physician racial discordance is associated with Black patient reports of dissatisfaction and mistrust, which in turn are associated with poor adherence to treatment recommendations and underutilisation of healthcare. Research further has shown that patient dissatisfaction and mistrust are magnified particularly when physicians hold high levels of implicit racial bias. This suggests that physician implicit racial bias manifests in their communication behaviours during medical interactions. The overall goal of this research is to identify physician communication behaviours that link physician implicit racial bias and Black patient immediate (patient-reported satisfaction and trust) and long-term outcomes (eg, medication adherence, self-management and healthcare utilisation) as well as clinical indicators of diabetes control (eg, blood pressure, HbA1c and history of diabetes complication).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design, we will collect data from approximately 30 family medicine physicians and 300 Black patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The data sources will include one physician survey, three patient surveys, medical interaction videos, video elicitation interviews and medical chart reviews. Physician implicit racial bias will be assessed with the physician survey, and patient outcomes will be assessed with the patient surveys and medical chart reviews. In video elicitation interviews, a subset of patients (approximately 20-40) will watch their own interactions while being monitored physiologically to identify evocative physician behaviours. Information from the interview will determine which physician communication behaviours will be coded from medical interactions videos. Coding will be done independently by two trained coders. A series of statistical analyses (zero-order correlations, partial correlations, regressions) will be conducted to identify physician behaviours that are associated significantly with both physician implicit racial bias and patient outcomes.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was obtained from the Virginia Commonwealth University IRB. Study results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences. A novel Medical Interaction involving Black Patients Coding System from this project will be made publicly available.

The interplay between diabetes, depression and affective temperaments: A structural equation model

BACKGROUND

Diabetes and depression are reciprocally linked, but few studies modeled their interplay considering the influence of affective temperaments (AT) and demographic factors.

METHODS

Participants with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM, n=279) recruited from Diabetes Units were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A), Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS), Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) and Cumulative Illness Rating Scales (CIRS). Glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HBA1C) was used as index of glycemic control. The bi-directional association between glycemic control, depression and candidate mediators was examined with Structural Equation Modeling, testing the impact of moderator variables (AT, diabetes type, age and gender) with multigroup comparison.

RESULTS

The association between HBA1C and depressive symptoms was mediated by diabetes-related distress,, while there was no definite evidence of depression influencing HBA1C through changes of adherence, tiredness, appetite, alcohol intake or smoking. Among individuals with AT, distress was unrelated to HBA1C and had a higher impact on depression; adherence was inversely association with HBA1C. Moreover, physical comorbidities impacted on depression. While diabetes type had a moderation role, age and gender did not affect the model.

LIMITATIONS

Cross sectional design, lack of objective measures of diet and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Glycemic control seem to influence the severity of depressive symptoms, but the reciprocal association seems non-significant. AT and diabetes type may shape this relationship influencing distress and adherence to medications. Findings may aid interventions aimed at improving patients' care and quality of life.