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Quality improvement
Written prompts to GPs to elicit patient concerns led to a small increase in 1 measure of patient satisfaction in self limiting illness
McLean M, Armstrong D. Eliciting patients’ concerns: a randomised controlled trial of different approaches by the doctor. Br J Gen Pract 2004;54:663–6.[Medline]
Q In patients with self limiting conditions, is prompting general practitioners (GPs) to elicit patient concerns beneficial?
Key Words: primary health care • physician-patient relations
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
unconcealed.*
Blinding:
unblinded.*
Follow up period:
immediately after consultation.
Setting:
4 semirural training general practices in the southeast UK.
Patients:
110 patients presenting with self limiting conditions. Exclusion criteria: referral to hospital, prescription given for purposes other than symptom control, or spontaneous expression by the patient of a clear concern about his/her illness.
Intervention:
after a history and examination, 56 patients were allocated to written prompts to the GP to facilitate elicitation of patient concerns. Written prompts were "May I ask if you have any concerns about this [illness or pain] you have come about today?" and "Anything in particular about the [illness or pain]?" and "What is it about the [illness/pain] that concerns you?" 54 patients were allocated to usual care.
Outcomes:
patient satisfaction (Consultation Satisfaction Questionnaire [CSQ]), enablement (patient enablement instrument), anxiety (6 item short form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory state
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Clinical trials (epidemiology)
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