For the study, researchers filmed four videos, approximately two minutes long featuring actors who were given scripts. Of the four videos, two featured an actor playing a physician in a face-to-face consultation with just a notepad in hand and the other featured an actor playing a physician in a consultation using a computer.
Researchers divided 120 advanced cancer patients into four groups. Each group viewed a video where the physician engaged in face-to-face consultation with just a notepad and a video where the physician used a computer.
After having watched both videos, 72 percent of participants favored the face-to-face interaction.
“We know that having a good rapport with patients can be extremely beneficial for their health,” said lead study author Ali Haider, MD, assistant professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “Patients with advanced disease need the cues that come with direct interaction to help them along with their care.”
The the 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium will take place in San Diego, Oct. 27 and Oct. 28.
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