Do We Know What Patients Want? The Doctor-Patient Communication Gap in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
published online 03 July 2009.
Background & Aims
Understanding patients' expectations at initial consultation for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) might influence future health care utilization. Ideally, patients and doctors would have a common understanding of the issues involved. We sought to investigate this with matched questionnaires.
Methods
Patients' needs/expectations/understanding were compared with gastroenterologists' and general practitioners' awareness of these. Patients were followed up to investigate satisfaction with and outcomes of specialist consultation.
Results
Specialists underestimated the number and severity of patients' symptoms (in 43% and 41%, respectively), and patients and specialists had quite discordant views on what treatment would best suit their symptoms. Strikingly, only 1 of 13 patients available for follow-up agreed with or accepted the functional diagnosis, despite all being diagnosed by a specialist as having an FGID.
Conclusions
In FGIDs there is a communication gap between patients and gastroenterologists. Importantly, at follow-up, patients do not acknowledge their FGID diagnosis. This communication gap and lack of acceptance of a functional diagnosis are likely to influence future management and health care utilization.
‡Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
⁎School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
§School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
∥Executive Office, University Clinic Essen, Essen, Germany
Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Clin A/Prof Jane Andrews, Royal Adelaide Hospital & University of Adelaide, Gastroenterology & Hepatology & School of Medicine, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5068, Australia. fax: (61) 8-8222-2414
Conflicts of interest The authors disclose no conflicts.
Funding Supported by Clinical Project Grant, Royal Adelaide Hospital/Hanson Institute, 2009.
ABSTRACT
Do We Know What Patients Want? The Doctor-Patient Communication Gap in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders