The patient-centred interview: the key to biopsychosocial diagnosis and treatment.
The article reports on some ideas and experiences gained from a holistic approach to working with patients and introduces a viewpoint that includes opinions on how postmodernism, the biopsychosocial model and a patient-centred interviewing style can change traditional, biomedical-oriented medicine. During the past 10 years, we have been instructing medical students in the use of this patient-centred interviewing model and have trained experienced general practitioners (GPs) in adopting it in 2-year family-oriented continuing medical education courses. We believe that doctors and other health care providers, particularly in primary care settings, need a comprehensive concept of human health and illness, and that skill in patient-centred interviewing is the product of a deep learning process. In conclusion, we have learned that a successful patient-centred interview helps the GP to better understand the patient and helps to explain the data that the patient presents. Patient-centred orientation and interviewing also change the communication between doctor and patient in a direction which supports the patient's and his/her family members' own resources in the healing process.
Larivaara
P
P
Department of Public Health Science and General Practice, University of Oulu, Finland. plarivaa@cc.oulu.fi
Kiuttu
J
J
Taanila
A
A
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004644:Emotions; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011584:Psychology