Assessing the Influence of Patient Participation in Primary Care Medical Interviews on Recall of Treatment Recommendations

This study examined the relationship between patient participation and recall of treatment recommendations among a sample of 96 patients at two primary care medical clinics. Using multilevel modeling analysis, the results of this study indicated a significant positive correlation (t(81) = 8.84, p < .0001) between patients' participation and their ability to recall treatment recommendations discussed with their physicians. The results presented here suggest that patients who take a more active role in medical interviews may have an increased ability to recall important information discussed during these interactions. This is of utmost importance because the ability to recall treatment recommendations is an important predictor of health outcomes.