profession

Brief training has impact on prescription communication

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 25, 2013

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

A one-hour educational session can make a big difference in how well doctors communicate with patients about the new drugs they are prescribing, according to research published in the January/February issue of Annals of Family Medicine. Doctors often fail to cover basic information when prescribing a new drug, such as what it is called and how often to take it, according to researchers.

Fifteen doctors at three internal medicine and family practice clinics in Los Angeles took the training session that emphasized the importance of discussing such factors and had physicians role-play to demonstrate what they had learned, while 14 other physicians at the clinic comprised the control group and did not receive training.

The physicians who took the training were much likelier to cover important information when prescribing new medications and got higher patient grades on trustworthiness and overall communication. Although 91% of those who attended the educational session told patients the name of the medications they were prescribing, only 62% of the doctors in the control group did so. About 75% of the trained doctors covered how long and how often to take the drugs, compared with less than half of the physicians in the control group, according to recordings of the patient-physician interactions analyzed for the study (link).

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn