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1st
appeared 18 May 1999
Treatment Satisfaction Improved by Applying
Business Techniques, UCSF Researcher Finds
 A UCSF researcher has found that by applying well-established decision-making
business techniques to medical consultations, breast cancer patients are more satisfied
with their treatment decisions.
Making treatment decisions during medical consultations after a cancer diagnosis has
become increasingly complex and stressful for patients and physicians, according to Laura
Esserman, director of the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center. Patients often
withhold their questions and concerns during these sessions. In addition, physicians have
limited time and resources to synthesize a patient's detailed medical history, personal
preferences and relevant medical information.
As a result, breast cancer patients often leave medical consultations feeling confused,
frustrated and anxious about treatment decisions, says Esserman, who presented data
yesterday at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. The study
was conducted by researchers at the University of California San Francisco Carol Franc
Buck Breast Care Center and Stanford Department of Engineering Economic Systems.
Karen Sepucha, a graduate student from Stanford University, worked with Esserman and
others at the UCSF Breast Care Center to develop a structure for medical consultations.
This structure, which utilized techniques such as agenda setting, meeting facilitation and
recording, helped to elicit patient preferences, clarify medical details and review
options and outcomes.
"Applying these techniques to medical consultations leveraged both patients' and
physicians' time and in doing so, made patients' treatment choices and outcomes
clearer," Esserman says. "Patients felt reassured that their questions and
concerns were being addressed and answered, their stress was reduced, and ability to
listen improved."
She notes that the techniques enabled patients and physicians to combine evidence- and
preference-based medicine to maximize treatment decision quality. They also enhanced
patient-physician communication and collaborative decision making, elements that have been
linked to improved patient outcomes and treatment compliance.
"As critical decision making has transferred to the outpatient setting and patients
desire more participation in the process, better tools to elicit patient preferences and
describe treatment options are needed," Esserman says. "Our next step is to
propose a more extensive study where we will test consultation recording and facilitation
mechanisms in a larger group of patients and physicians."
Links:
UCSF press release
UCSF Cancer Center
Stanford Department of Engineering Economic
Systems
American Society for Clinical Oncology
Source: Abby Sinnott, News Services |
