Work

The presence of companions during emergency department evaluation and its impact on perceptions of clinician–patient communication

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Research in outpatient setting suggests that the presence of companions during a medical encounter can improve clinician-patient communication. It is not known if the presence of companions has a similar effect in the acutely stressful context of the ED. This study tested whether the presence of companions in the ED relate to stronger clinician-patient communication. We further explored effect modification by demographic factors (race/ethnicity, education and language) thought to compromise communication. METHODS: Participants were drawn from an observational cohort study of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (n=876) recruited from an urban academic medical centre between 2013 and 2016. Patient interviews occurred both in the ED and post-ED discharge; communication was assessed using the Interpersonal Processes of Care Survey with possible range of scores of 14-70. Companions were categorised as close others (ie, partner/spouse or child), non-close others (eg, neighbour) or no one. RESULTS: =10.6;). There was no association between companions (close/non-close/no one) and clinician-patient communication, p=0.262. Demographic factors were unrelated to communication. There was a significant interaction between education and companions. Having a close other in the ED was associated with stronger clinician-patient communication only for patients with high school education or less, p=0.027. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the presence of companions nor demographic factors were related to clinician-patient communication. The interaction effect suggesting that patients completing high school or less have the most to gain from the presence of close others warrants further exploration.

Source: Emergency Medicine Journal

DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2018-207735

Authors: Talea Cornelius, Nathalie Moise, Jeffrey L Birk, Donald Edmondson, Bernard P Chang

Institution: Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences