Patients Prefer the Method of "Tell Back-Collaborative Inquiry" to Assess Understanding of Medical Information
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2008
Description
Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine which approach to assessing understanding of medical information patients most prefer and perceive to be most effective. Methods: Two videos were shown to participants: (1) a physician explaining a medical condition and its treatment and (2) a physician inquiring about patient understanding of the medical information the patient had been given using 3 different types of inquiry: Yes-No, Tell Back-Collaborative, and Tell Back-Directive. Results: The Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry was significantly preferred over the other 2 approaches. Conclusions: Patients strongly prefer the Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry when assessing their understanding. We recommend that physicians ask patients to restate what they understand using their own words and that they use a patient-centered approach.
Citation Information
Kemp, Evelyn; Floyd, Michael R.; McCord-Duncan, Elizabeth; and Lang, Forrest. 2008. Patients Prefer the Method of "Tell Back-Collaborative Inquiry" to Assess Understanding of Medical Information. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Vol.21(1). 24-30. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2008.01.070093 PMID: 18178699 ISSN: 1557-2625