Abstract
BackgroundThe way in which patients and their doctors interact is a potentially important factor in optimal communication during consultations as well as treatment, compliance and follow-up care. The aim of this multidisciplinary study is to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the 'black box' that is the interaction between the two parties during a general practice consultation, and to identify factors therein that may contribute to producing health inequalities. This paper outlines the original multidisciplinary methodology used, and the feasibility of this type of study.Methods and designThe study design combines methodologies on two separate samples in two phases. Firstly, a qualitative phase collected ethnographical and sociological data during consultation, followed by in-depth interviews with both patients and doctors independently. Secondly, a quantitative phase on a different sample of patients and physicians collected data via several questionnaires given to patients and doctors consisting of specific 'mirrored' questions asked post-consultation, as well as collecting information on patient and physician characteristics.DiscussionThe design and methodology used in this study were both successfully implemented, and readily accepted by doctors and patients alike. This type of multidisciplinary study shows great potential in providing further knowledge into the role of patient/physician interaction and its influence on maintaining or producing health inequalities. The next challenge in this study will be implementing the multidisciplinary approach during the data analysis.
Highlights
The way in which patients and their doctors interact is a potentially important factor in optimal communication during consultations as well as treatment, compliance and follow-up care
As evidence suggests, the patient-physician relationship does affect a patient's health care trajectory, how they are treated and their compliance with treatments, this could in turn lead to health inequalities which will permeate across the health care system
It is possible that certain types of general practitioner (GP) are more likely to be members of such organisations, and in this instance, many of the GPs who volunteered were implicated in teaching or training junior colleagues and had a specific interest in improving the quality of their role as community or family doctors
Summary
The way in which patients and their doctors interact is a potentially important factor in optimal communication during consultations as well as treatment, compliance and follow-up care The aim of this multidisciplinary study is to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the 'black box' that is the interaction between the two parties during a general practice consultation, and to identify factors therein that may contribute to producing health inequalities. Street et al note the importance of a shared identity between patients and physicians facilitating more positive health care interactions [4,10] They found that the way a physician perceives a patient (intelligent, compliant etc) affects how they treat them during the consultation. Further exploration into the black-box of patient-physician interaction may highlight how and where some aspects of health inequalities are produced, and indicate how changes can be made in general practice to reduce health care inequalities linked to patients' social characteristics
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