Assessing the Influence of Patient Participation in Primary Care Medical Interviews on Recall of Treatment Recommendations

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between patient participation and recall of treatment recommendations among a sample of 96 patients at two primary care medical clinics. Using multilevel modeling analysis, the results of this study indicated a significant positive correlation (t(81) = 8.84, p < .0001) between patients' participation and their ability to recall treatment recommendations discussed with their physicians. The results presented here suggest that patients who take a more active role in medical interviews may have an increased ability to recall important information discussed during these interactions. This is of utmost importance because the ability to recall treatment recommendations is an important predictor of health outcomes.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to acknowledge Dr. Mary Ann Renz and Dr. Jeffrey Kromrey for their guidance in completing this manuscript. He also wishes to acknowledge Dr. Teresa Thompson and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful feedback.

Notes

¹The Readability Statistics function in Microsoft Word uses both the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level systems (two of the most widely used and validated systems for scoring readability) to assess the readability of documents (see Flesch, 1948; Kincaid, Fishburne, Robers, & Chissom, 1975). The recall measures used in this study were scored at 67.2% (Flesch Reading Ease) and 6.3 (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level), respectively.

²The PACE Coding System is an elaborate coding system that assigns a six-digit code to each unit of discourse based on its chronology, theme, and function. Because not all aspects of the coding system were relevant to the present analysis, the author focused on using the coding system to produce frequencies of talk for the four components of patient participation (information seeking, assertive utterances, information provision, and expression of concern). For more information on the PACE Coding System see Cegala McClure, and Post (2000) and Cegala et al. (2007).

³Of the 96 patients who participated in this study, only three indicated that they brought some type of aid (a notebook in all three cases) to help them recall the information they discussed with their doctor.