Patient education and counseling
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The aim of this study is to analyse the way in which orthopaedic physicians manage consultations, and to identify those factors associated with patient-experienced satisfaction/dissatisfaction. This was explored both using a descriptive method and by analysing comments from patients. Consultations were videotaped; 18 physicians and 18 patients participated. ⋯ On the other hand, the negative consultations were characterised by more time spent with the items 'History of problems', and 'Patient Ideas'. This might be due to the patient having tried to express him/herself in order to present his/her views but the physician not following them up. In this study, the CM has been helpful in clarifying the difference between encounters experienced as satisfactory or dissatisfactory.
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The aim of this study was to survey pregnant smokers' interest in different types of smoking cessation support. Interest in cessation support was assessed via telephone interviews with women identified as smokers at their first antenatal visit. Of 206 pregnant smokers interviewed, 87% (179/206) reported wanting to stop smoking, of whom 69% (124/179) expressed an interest in receiving help with stopping. ⋯ There was a significant preference for individual versus group appointments, for 'buddying' among those not in professional/managerial occupations versus those in professional/managerial occupations, and for behavioural support among non-Caucasians versus Caucasians. These findings highlight the high level of interest expressed in support with stopping smoking among pregnant smokers. Smoking cessation services may benefit through offering a range of interventions for pregnant smokers, through considering ethnic and occupational status, and through routinely offering individual appointments.
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This study aims to explore undergraduate medical students' views and experiences of methods of teaching and learning communication skills. Five focus groups were conducted with 32 students, with representatives from each of the 5 years of the medical degree, at the University of Nottingham, UK. The audiotapes were transcribed in full and the transcripts were theme analysed independently by two analysts. ⋯ Students had mixed views about instructional methods of teaching and learning communication skills such as lectures. Students seemed to prefer experiential methods of learning communication skills such as role-playing with simulated patients and communicating with real patients in a clinical context. These findings have a number of educational and research implications and these are discussed in this paper.