title: A comparison of calls subjected to a malpractice claim versus 'normal calls' within the Swedish healthcare direct: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to compare communication patterns in calls subjected to a malpractice claim with matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In many countries, telephone advice nursing is patients' first contact with healthcare. Telenurses' assessment of callers' symptoms and needs are based on verbal communication only, and problems with over-triage and under-triage have been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total sample of all reported medical errors (n=33) during the period 2003-2010 within Swedish Healthcare Direct was retrieved. Corresponding calls were thereafter identified and collected as sound files from the manager in charge at the respective call centres. For technical reasons, calls from four of the cases were not possible to retrieve. For the present study, matched control calls (n=26) based on the patient's age, gender and main symptom presented by the caller were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male patients were in majority (n=16), and the most common reasons for calling were abdominal pain (n=10) and chest pain (n=5). There were statistically significant differences between the communication in the cases and controls: telenurses used fewer open-ended medical questions (p<0.001) in the cases compared to the control calls; callers provided telenurses with more medical information in the control calls compared to the cases (p=0.001); and telenurses used more facilitation and patient activation activities in the control calls (p=0.034), such as back-channel response (p=0.001), compared to the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that telenurses in malpractice claimed calls used more closed-ended questioning compared to those in control calls, who used more open-ended questioning and back-channel response, which provided them with richer medical descriptions and more information from the caller. Hence, these communicative techniques are important in addition to solid medical and nursing competence and sound decision aid systems.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Caring Science University of Gavle, Gavle, Sweden.|Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Health Services Research, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ernesäter
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Caring Science University of Gavle, Gavle, Sweden.|Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Health Services Research, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Health Services Research, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Winblad
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Health Services Research, Uppsala, Sweden.|Mälardalen University School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Vasteras, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Holmström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D019114:Remote Consultation; D013548:Sweden; D055817:Telenursing; D014218:Triage; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PRIMARY CARE