What symptoms tell us: A multiple case study of oncology consultations.
Details
State: Public
Version: author
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_A45CB22E94F4
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
What symptoms tell us: A multiple case study of oncology consultations.
Journal
Palliative & supportive care
ISSN
1478-9523 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1478-9515
Publication state
Published
Issued date
08/2021
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
19
Number
4
Pages
421-436
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
While patients' symptom experiences have been widely investigated, there is a lack of contextualized studies investigating how symptoms circulate in the medical consultation, how patients present them, what they convey, how physicians respond, and how patients and physicians negotiate with each other to find ways to address them. The aim of this study is to explore patients and physicians handling of symptoms throughout oncological consultations with a multiple case study approach.
Five consultations, purposively selected from an existing dataset of audiotaped consultations with patients with advanced cancer, were analyzed by means of an inductive analytical approach based on a sensitive framework from the literature.
Patients' symptoms showed multiple dimensions such as medical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, interactional, symbolic, experiential, and existential.
Different symptom dimensions remained unnoticed and unaddressed in the consultations. The physician-centered symptom approach that was observed leads to consumed time and missed opportunities for relationship building with the patient. Physicians showed a lack of sensitivity regarding the multiple dimensions of symptoms. Based on the findings, strategies for a more comprehensive symptom approach can be conceived.
Five consultations, purposively selected from an existing dataset of audiotaped consultations with patients with advanced cancer, were analyzed by means of an inductive analytical approach based on a sensitive framework from the literature.
Patients' symptoms showed multiple dimensions such as medical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, interactional, symbolic, experiential, and existential.
Different symptom dimensions remained unnoticed and unaddressed in the consultations. The physician-centered symptom approach that was observed leads to consumed time and missed opportunities for relationship building with the patient. Physicians showed a lack of sensitivity regarding the multiple dimensions of symptoms. Based on the findings, strategies for a more comprehensive symptom approach can be conceived.
Keywords
Humans, Medical Oncology, Neoplasms/complications, Physician-Patient Relations, Physicians, Referral and Consultation, Tape Recording, Cancer, Multiple case study, Palliative patient, Qualitative research, Symptoms
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/09/2020 14:28
Last modification date
21/11/2022 9:17