Annual Congress Copenhagen 2005

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PG22 - Improving physician-patient communication (jointly organised with EFA)

Postgraduate Course
Chairs: F. Gallefoss (Kristiansand, Norway), D. Covey (London, United Kingdom)
Aims: The physician–patient encounter is a key opportunity to ensure that effective therapies are translated into improved outcomes and quality of care. The outcomes may be suboptimal if physicians and patients do not communicate effectively. This course will update participants on a developing research base of strategies to alter physician behaviour and improve patient outcomes. In particular, it will:
• provide an overview of the published evidence about approaches for improving physician-patient encounters;
• describe recent research work that has successfully altered physician behaviours and improved patient outcomes;
• identify barriers that are encountered which inhibit change in physician behaviours and outline strategies to overcome them;
• highlight alternative strategies for improving the patient encounter.

The patients' perspectives S. Myrseth (Oslo, Norway)
What does the literature tell us about how to alter doctor behaviour and what further research needs to be done? C. Griffiths (London, United Kingdom)
Educating physicians to improve physician practice: a behavioural psychologist's view N. M. Clark (Ann Arbor, United States of America)
Translating research into practice: identifying and removing barriers to changing physicians' behaviour M. D. Cabana (Ann Arbor, United States of America)
Other approaches to improving physician-patient encounters: empowering patients and the use of lay trainers M. Partridge (London, United Kingdom)