Communications with Doctors Hindered for Elderly by
Awe of Physicians Position
Medical staffs need better training in
communication with elderly, their families, says scholar's thesis
The University of Gothenburg's Sandra Pennbrant is
a registered nurse and Ph.D. Photo by U. of Gothenburg
Oct. 27, 2009 - Elderly patients are often
apprehensive about a meeting with the doctor. Hierarchical structures,
time pressure and traditions in the health care sector make these
patients and their relatives passive when facing the doctor and his or
her position of power, according to a thesis from the Sahlgrenska
Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
We cannot disregard that the ability of doctors to
communicate with elderly patients and their relatives could be improved,
and that this shortcoming may explain why this group of patients feel
insecure in the meeting with the doctor, says Sandra Pennbrant, nurse
and the author of the doctoral thesis.
They don't feel at home in the health care system
and sometimes have problems understanding the doctor.
A good relationship between the doctor and the
patient leads to reduced apprehension and increased faith in the health
care system, she says.
This kind of relationship requires among other
things that the doctor and the patient discuss the situation and that
the doctor listens to what the patient has to say before deciding on a
treatment plan.
Elderly patients and their relatives tend to have
a critical view of the meeting with the doctor. Doctors and patients
have the same understanding of how good relations can be created, but it
seems that doctors have a hard time accomplishing it in real life, says
Pennbrant.
The interviewed doctors feel it is difficult to
create good relations in the meeting with elderly patients and that this
is mainly because the patient often stays at the hospital for only a
short time.
The study is based on interviews with 20 elderly
patients and their relatives in Gothenburg, Sweden, and about an equal
number of doctors.
Medical personnel need to be trained to prevent
misunderstandings in their meetings with elderly patients and their
relatives, concludes Pennbrant.
Doctors need to learn to acknowledge the questions
elderly patients may have and consider their medical conditions and
personalities in communication and when building relations. Relatives
should also participate in this meeting, so that they feel their work is
supported and appreciated, says Pennbrant.
About the thesis
Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at
the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy,
University of Gothenburg, publicly defended 2009-10-23
Title of the thesis: How elderly patients,
relatives and doctors experience their meeting - A sociocultural study
in a hospital setting
Link to thesis:
http://hdl.handle.net/2077/21198
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