Communication about patients during ward rounds and verbal handovers: A gender perspective

ABSTRACT

This article investigates gender patterns on how two interprofessional teams communicate about patients in their absence. Thirteen ward rounds and 17 verbal handovers were audio-recorded and analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. The ward rounds consisted of 1 physician and 2–4 nurses. The verbal handovers consisted of 2–3 nurses and as many assistant nurses. The data were collected at a cardiac clinic at a hospital in southern Sweden. The results indicate that when patients acted according to socially-accepted gender norms, the communication among the interprofessional teams was characterized as ‘professional’, including communication primarily about the medical situation of the patient and statements of a non-judgmental nature. When patients did not act according to socially-accepted gender norms, the communication among the interprofessional teams switched to become more ‘informal’, including non-medical oriented statements of a negative nature. When the healthcare workers take the patient’s psycho-social condition into account, as advocated by concepts like ‘holistic care’ and ‘patient-centered care’, the risk for speculation and arbitrariness may increase, especially within interprofessional teams who hold a nursing responsibility for patients. Establishing more defined guidelines of how non-medical aspects should be dealt with are thus of importance to the development of an equitable provision and delivery of healthcare.

KEYWORDS:

• Content analysis
• counter-stereotypical actors
• gender
• holistic care
• patient-centered care
• stereotype actors

Acknowledgments

I would like thank the health care workers who participated in the study. Many thanks also to Professors Helene Ahl and Airi Rovio-Johansson for critical readings of the article.

Disclosure Statement

The author report no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This study was founded by the School of Education and Communication, Jönköping University together with VINNVÅRD, a research program that includes The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Vårdalstiftelsen, VINNOVA (Sweden’s Innovation Agency) and The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions;VINNOVA [A2008-026].