Taxonomy and effectiveness of clinician agenda-setting questions in routine ambulatory encounters: A mixed method study

Abstract

ObjectivesDespite decades of communication training, studies repeatedly demonstrate that clinicians fail to elicit patients’ agendas. Our goal was to provide clinicians with actionable guidance about the effectiveness of agenda-soliciting questions. MethodsWe coded clinician agenda-soliciting questions and patient responses in audio-recorded ambulatory encounters at an urban academic hospital. To evaluate the association between question type and odds of the patient raising a concern, we performed mixed-effects logistic regression. ResultsWe identified 346 agenda-soliciting questions within 138 visits (mean 2.51/visit; range 0–9). Agenda-soliciting questions were categorized as personal state inquiries (37%, “How are you?”), feeling-focused (5% “How’re you feeling?”), problem-focused (12%; “Are you having any problems”), direct solicitations (3%; “Anything you want to discuss today?”), “what else” (3%), “anything else” (14%), leading (16%; “Nothing else today?”), and space-reducing (11% “Anything else? Smoking?”). Patients raised a concern in response to 107 clinician questions (27%). Patients were more likely to raise a concern to direct solicitation (OR 22.95, 95% CI 2.62–200.70) or “what else” (OR 4.68, 95% CI 1.05–20.77) questions. ConclusionsThe most effective agenda-soliciting questions are used least frequently by clinicians. Practice implicationsClinicians should elicit patient agendas by using direct language, and solicit additional concerns using “what else” vs. “anything else” questions.