Patient Provider Communications in Health Care
Research focuses on patient provider communication in Cancer care. In a
pre-test and post-test design, patients will complete usual pain
assessments and use a new computerized pain assessment tool to document
their pain. Pain data from patients assigned to the new protocol will be
shared with their oncologists along with a computer generated consultation
that includes a list of analgesics appropriate for the character of the
patient's pain. In this project the student will analyze audiotaped
patient and the provider interaction during routine clinic visits. Data
will be analyzed for the types of communication during the visit. One week
later, patients will complete the computerized pain assessment tool to
document the effect of any therapies prescribed for their pain.
Additionally, we will describe patient and provider receptivity to the
computerized pain tool using semi-structured questions and applying
content analysis to the data. Study findings will be used to guide
revisions of the tool and to plan organizational level implementation of
this new technology as an interface with the electronic health record.
Data is analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). RIAS
is a method of coding doctor-patient interactions during a medical visit.
The coding approach is tailored to dyadic exchange specific to the medical
encounter. Research also studies if it is possible for a person whose
first language is English and has no medical background is able to learn
to be a reliable coder using RIAS, and how long it takes this person to
become a reliable coder. Analyzation of computer body outlines where
patients have reported pain are used to look at how patients describe
their pain. Words describing patient's pain are analyzed with a focus on
if certain adjectives used to describe pain describe nociceptive pain or
nueropathic pain. In performing this research study we hope to provide
better pain and symptom management for patients with Cancer.
