How Do Patients Want Us to Use the Computer During Medical Encounters?—A Discrete Choice Experiment Study

Abstract

Background: Primary care physicians (PCPs) now widely use electronic health records (EHRs) during medical encounters. Experts in clinical communication issued recommendations for a patient-centered use of EHRs. However, they have never been validated by patients themselves. Objective: To explore patients’ preferences regarding physicians’ EHR-related behaviors. Design: Discrete choice experiment study. Patients: French-speaking patients waiting for a medical consultation at two outpatient clinics in Geneva, Switzerland. Main Measures: We invited patients to watch videos displaying 2 or 3 variations of four specific EHR-related behaviors and asked them to indicate which one they preferred. EHR-related behaviors were (1) typing: continuous/intermittent/handwriting in biomedical or psychosocial focused consultations; (2) maintaining contact while typing: visual/verbal/both; (3) signposting the use of EHR: with/without; (4) position of physicians’ hands and bust: on the keyboard and towards the patient/away from the keyboard and towards the patient/on the keyboard and towards the screen. Key Results: Three hundred thirty-six patients participated (response rate 61.4%). They preferred intermittent typing versus handwriting or continuous typing for biomedical issues (32.7%; 95% CI: 26.0–40.2% vs 31.6%; 95% CI: 24.9–39.0% or 14.9%; 95% CI: 10.2–21.1%) and psychosocial issues (38.7%; 95% CI: 31.6–46.3% vs 24.4% 95% CI: 18.4–31.5% or 17.9%; 95% CI; 12.7–24.4%). They favored visual and verbal contact (38.9%; 95% CI: 31.9–46.3%) over verbal (30.3%; 95% CI: 23.9–37.5%) or visual contact only (11.4%; 95% CI: 7.5–17.1%) while the doctor was typing. A majority preferred signposting the use of EHR versus no signposting (58.9%; 95% CI: 53.5–64.0% vs 34.8%; 95% CI: 29.9–40.1%). Finally, half of the patients (49.7%; 95% CI: 42.0–57.4%) favored the position with the physician’s bust towards the patient and hands away from the keyboard. Conclusions: Our study shows that patients’ preferences regarding EHR-related behaviors are in line with most experts’ recommendations. Such recommendations should be more consistently integrated into under- and postgraduate communication skills training.