[Information given to patients and their participation in clinical decision-making].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the information provided by physicians during consultations, the information requested by patients, and patients' participation in decision-making.


METHODS
Descriptive, cross-sectional study based on observations of visits to the doctor's office and subsequent telephone interview.


METHODS
Primary care centers in Toledo, Spain.Participants. 152 clinical interviews.Interventions. Questionnaire with items on age, sex, types of information provided by the physician, information requested by the patient, and evaluation of the patient's participation in decision-making and degree of satisfaction.


RESULTS
Mean age of the patients was 41.1 years, and 55.9% were women. The type of information given most frequently to patients was related to treatment (88.3%). Of the 152 patients whose visits were observed, 55 (36.2%) did not request additional information. The information requested most frequently when not provided spontaneously by the physician concerned treatment (35.3%) and cause of the symptoms (29.7%). Almost all patients (94.0%) considered the information received to be sufficient. However, 22.7% stated that when they left the doctor's office there was something they wished they had asked about, and 18.6% said they understood the doctor's explanations "in part." According to the observers, 69.4% of the patients did not take part in the decision about their treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The information provided by the physician was not as complete as it might have been. Patients usually ask few questions, and a large percentage of patients had something they wished they had asked about, or did not fully understand the information. Patients' participation in decision-making was low.
Barca Fernández
I
I
Residente de tercer año de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Unidad Docente de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Toledo, España.
Parejo Miguez
R
R
Gutiérrez Martín
P
P
Fernández Alarcón
F
F
Alejandre Lázaro
G
G
López de Castro
F
F
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires