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Patients' unvoiced agendas in general practice consultations.

Barry, CA; Bradley, CP; Britten, N; Stevenson, FA; Barber, N; (2000) Patients' unvoiced agendas in general practice consultations. British Medical Journal , 320 1246 - 1250. 10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1246. Green open access

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Abstract

Objective: To investigate patients' agendas before consultation and to assess which aspects of agendas are voiced in the consultation and the effects of unvoiced agendas on outcomes. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: 20 general practices in south east England and the West Midlands. Participants: 35 patients consulting 20 general practitioners in appointment and emergency surgeries. Results: Patients' agendas are complex and multifarious. Only four of 35 patients voiced all their agendas in consultation. Agenda items most commonly voiced were symptoms and requests for diagnoses and prescriptions. The most common unvoiced agenda items were: worries about possible diagnosis and what the future holds; patients' ideas about what is wrong; side effects; not wanting a prescription; and information relating to social context. Agenda items that were not raised in the consultation often led to specific problem outcomes (for example, major misunderstandings), unwanted prescriptions, non-use of prescriptions, and non-adherence to treatment. In all of the 14 consultations with problem outcomes at least one of the problems was related to an unvoiced agenda item. Conclusion: Patients have many needs and when these are not voiced they can not be addressed. Some of the poor outcomes in the case studies were related to unvoiced agenda items. This suggests that when patients and their needs are more fully articulated in the consultation better health care may be effected. Steps should be taken in both daily clinical practice and research to encourage the voicing of patients' agendas

Type: Article
Title: Patients' unvoiced agendas in general practice consultations.
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1246
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1246
Language: English
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy > Practice and Policy
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Primary Care and Population Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/66250
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