Several recent studies, surveys and hospital initiatives highlight issues in patient-provider communications, ranging from how physicians can talk to patients about death to how physicians and patients view surgical scars differently.
Here are five recently explored issues regarding patient patient-provider communication.
1. 78% of patients lack basic information about imaging procedures: 5 findings
For patients who were undergoing an imaging test, 78 percent said they lacked basic information about the procedure before the test occurred, and nearly as many patients reported they wanted more information from their ordering provider, according to a study published in Radiology.
2. How physicians are learning to talk to patients about dying
A conversation guide is helping physicians at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital learn strategies for some of the most difficult discussions they have as care providers — telling patients they are dying.
3. Why patient-provider communication is crucial to chronic care: 6 findings
Healthcare providers can work to improve communication by focusing on the patient's individual needs when diagnosing them with a chronic illness, according to a study in the Annals of Family Medicine.
4. How physicians can use patients' bucket lists to improve care: 6 takeaways
Physicians can encourage discussion on individualized treatment and help patients plan for end-of-life care by asking patients about their bucket lists, according to a study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
5. How patients and physicians differ on surgical scars
Patients and physicians disagree in how they assessed surgical scars 28 percent of the time, according to a study published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.