Journal
CA-A CANCER JOURNAL FOR CLINICIANS
Volume 69, Issue 6, Pages 497-520Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.3322/caac.21573
Keywords
cancer; communication; malignancy; medicine; neoplasm; patient; patient-reported outcome measures; physician; referral and consultation; systematic review
Categories
Funding
- Western and Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Tools have been developed to facilitate communication and support information exchange between people diagnosed with cancer and their physicians. Patient-reported outcome measures, question prompt lists, patient-held records, tape recordings of consultations, decision aids, and survivorship care plans have all been promoted as potential tools, and there is extensive literature exploring their impact on patient outcomes. Eleven systematic reviews of studies evaluating tools to facilitate patient-physician communication were reviewed and summarized in this overview of systematic reviews. Across the systematic reviews, 87 publications reported on 84 primary studies involving 15,381 participants. Routine use of patient-reported outcome measures and feedback of results to clinicians can improve pain management, physician-patient communication, and symptom detection and control; increase utilization of supportive care; and increase patient involvement in care. Question prompt lists can increase the number of questions asked by patients without increasing consultation length and may encourage them to reflect and plan questions before the consultation. There is limited benefit in audio recording consultations or using patient-held records during consultations. Physicians should be supported by adequately resourced health services to respond effectively to the range of clinical and broader patient needs identified through the routine use of tools to facilitate communication.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available