TY - JOUR
T1 - Presence of observers at patient-practitioner interactions
T2 - Impact on coordination of care and methodologic implications
AU - Starfield, B.
AU - Steinwachs, D.
AU - Morris, I.
AU - Bause, G.
AU - Siebert, S.
AU - Westin, C.
PY - 1979
Y1 - 1979
N2 - In this study in an urban practice, the presence of a neutral observer at follow-up visits enhanced the extent to which practitioners recognized problems which patients had in a previous visit. This improvement was limited to those problems which initially had been mentioned by patients as requiring follow-up. Follow-up of problems initially mentioned by practitioners as needing follow-up was not improved by the observer unless the problem was also mentioned by the patient. Investigators whose information about practitioner-patient interaction depends upon the presence of an observer should be aware of this and possibly other effects. Although routine involvement of a neutral observer in patient-practitioner interactions is probably undesirable, selected deployment of observers or similar alternatives may be useful in situations where practitioner-patient communication is inadequate.
AB - In this study in an urban practice, the presence of a neutral observer at follow-up visits enhanced the extent to which practitioners recognized problems which patients had in a previous visit. This improvement was limited to those problems which initially had been mentioned by patients as requiring follow-up. Follow-up of problems initially mentioned by practitioners as needing follow-up was not improved by the observer unless the problem was also mentioned by the patient. Investigators whose information about practitioner-patient interaction depends upon the presence of an observer should be aware of this and possibly other effects. Although routine involvement of a neutral observer in patient-practitioner interactions is probably undesirable, selected deployment of observers or similar alternatives may be useful in situations where practitioner-patient communication is inadequate.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.69.10.1021
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.69.10.1021
M3 - Article
C2 - 484755
AN - SCOPUS:0018733192
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 69
SP - 1021
EP - 1025
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 10
ER -