title: Patient-centered communication and prognosis discussions with cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine physician communication associated with prognosis discussion with cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a study of physician-patient communication using trained actors. Thirty-nine physicians, including 19 oncologists and 20 family physicians participated in the study. Actors carried two hidden digital recorders to unannounced visits. We coded recordings for eliciting and validating patient concerns, attentive voice tone, and prognosis talk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Actor adherence to role averaged 92% and the suspected detection rate was 14%. In a multiple regression, eliciting and validating patient concerns (beta=.40, C.I.=0.11-0.68) attentiveness (beta=.32, C.I.=0.06-0.58) and being an oncologist vs. a family physician (beta=.33, C.I.=0.33-1.36) accounted for 46% of the variance in prognosis communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eliciting and validating patient concerns and attentiveness voice tone is associated with increased discussion of cancer patient prognosis as is physician specialty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eliciting and validating patient concerns and attentive voice tone may be markers of physician willingness to discuss emotionally difficult topics. Educating physicians about mindful practice may increase their ability to collect important information and to attend to patient concerns.
authors.affiliation: Child Development and Family Studies Department (Marriage and Family Therapy Program), Purdue University, Fowler Memorial House, 1200 W. State Street, W. Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. cgshields@purdue.edu
authors.forename: Cleveland G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Casey J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Coker
authors.forename: Shruti S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fiscella
authors.forename: Ronald M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Griggs
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic