Training health professionals in patient-centered communication during magnetic resonance imaging to reduce patients' perceived anxiety

Carla Santarém Semedo; António Moreira Diniz; Vasco Herédia

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2019.08.003

Training health professionals in patient-centered communication during magnetic resonance imaging to reduce patients' perceived anxiety

Patient Educ Couns. 2020 Jan;103(1):152-158. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.08.003. Epub 2019 Aug 2.

Authors

Carla Santarém Semedo¹, António Moreira Diniz², Vasco Herédia³

Affiliations

¹ Research Centre in Education and Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: cssemedo@uevora.pt.
² Research Centre in Education and Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.
³ Radiology Department, Hospital do Espírito Santo, EPE, Évora, Portugal and Affidea-Évora, Évora, Portugal.

PMID: 31402071
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.08.003

Abstract

Objective: We examined how a patient-centered communication training program for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affected health professional (HP) practice and patients' perceived anxiety (PA).

Methods: We implemented an intervention program. Six of the 17 eligible HPs completed the study. The proportion of observed desired behaviors (PODBs), including MRI procedure explanation (MRI-PE), communication, and MRI checking procedures was measured using an observation grid. We tested 182 patients (85 pre-, 58 post-, and 39 at follow-up) for PA pre- and post-MRI.

Results: The Bayesian ANOVA effect size suggested moderate evidence of improvement in HP PODBs, pre- to post-intervention. Use of MRI-PE declined between post-intervention and follow-up (6 months later). Observed changes in PA, pre- to post-MRI, could be related to time constraints and perceived pressure to explain the exam in detail once institutional routines are reestablished.

Conclusion: In MRI units, time constraints condition the performance of HPs who address patients' PA.

Practice implications: "Real workplace" interventions that promote better patient-centered communication and provide each patient with a comprehensive explanation of MRI procedures also appear to improve HP PODBs.

Keywords: Communication; Intervention program; Magnetic resonance imaging; Patient-centered communication; Perceived anxiety; Skills training.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anxiety / prevention & control
Bayes Theorem
Communication*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Patient-Centered Care*