Does Knowing Your Doctor Change What You Talk About?
Author Information
Author(s): Jabaaij Lea, Fassaert Thijs, van Dulmen Sandra, Timmermans Arno, van Essen Gerrit A, Schellevis François
Primary Institution: NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research)
Hypothesis
Does personal continuity of care influence the content of communication during GP-patient consultations?
Conclusion
Familiarity between a GP and a patient does not influence the content of the communication during consultations.
Supporting Evidence
- No relationship was found between GP-patient familiarity and the discussion of medical issues, psychological themes, or social environment topics.
- GPs displayed prior knowledge more often when they and the patient were very familiar with each other.
- Familiarity did not lead to different topics being discussed during consultations.
Takeaway
This study found that whether a patient knows their doctor well or not doesn't change what they talk about during visits.
Methodology
The study analyzed 394 videotaped consultations using multilevel logistic regression analyses to evaluate GP-patient communication.
Potential Biases
Some GP-patient couples did not fully agree on their familiarity, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The sample size was relatively small, and the study could not distinguish between serious and minor health issues.
Participant Demographics
{"patients":{"age_range":"18–88","mean_age":49.4,"male_percentage":40.6,"private_health_insurance_percentage":26.1},"gps":{"age_range":"35–59","mean_age":45.9,"male_percentage":50.0}}
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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