Expert recommendations on sharing medical information with patients: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Sharing medical information with patients is essential for patient-centered care, yet empirical research to guide information sharing in clinical practice is inconsistent and scattered across disciplines. Clinicians rarely use established models for sharing information, and patients inconsistently understand and remember the information shared. Objective: Explore experts’ views on the task of sharing information. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Participants: We recruited fifteen expert clinical communication teachers from six countries, using the snowball method. Approach: Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed by authors with both clinical, teaching and research experience, using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We conceived four themes addressing the task of sharing information. The overarching theme was: (1) Sharing information with patients should be a dialogue, not a lecture. Further, to improve how they share information with patients, clinicians might want to: (2) Help the patient process emotions; (3) Explore the patient’s knowledge and perspective; (4) Tailor and structure the information. Each theme included common challenges and solutions for clinicians. Conclusions: The findings align with and expand current models for communicating with patients. The themes integrate knowledge from different disciplines, such as psychology, medicine and communication science. The findings provide support for the role of information sharing in patient-centered care and shared decision making. The findings can guide clinicians in the task of sharing information with patients and shape curriculum and training development.