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Focus of doctor‐patient communication in follow‐up consultations for patients treated surgically for colorectal cancer

Judith McCool (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand and)
Jenny Morris (Institute of Health Studies, University of Plymouth, Pool, Cornwall, UK)

Journal of Management in Medicine

ISSN: 0268-9235

Article publication date: 1 June 1999

765

Abstract

A series of consultations between patients treated surgically for colorectal cancer and their hospital consultants were examined to establish the main focus of the consultation at various stages in the post‐surgical period. The results showed that follow‐up consultations were predominantly doctor driven. Patients interviewed less than 12 months since the time of surgery (short‐term group) were more likely to receive a longer consultation with a significantly higher number of verbal interactions (questions, responses) than patients more than 12 months since surgery at the time of interview (long‐term group). Furthermore, patients in the short‐term group played a greater participatory role within consultations than patients in the long‐term group. The predominant focus throughout all consultations was biomedical, with little attention afforded to patients’ expressions of post‐operative anxiety. At present, it appears that out‐patient consultations play a minimal role in either detecting or addressing psychosocial morbidity amongst colorectal cancer patients in the post‐surgical period.

Keywords

Citation

McCool, J. and Morris, J. (1999), "Focus of doctor‐patient communication in follow‐up consultations for patients treated surgically for colorectal cancer", Journal of Management in Medicine, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 169-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/02689239910292062

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited

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