Doctor−patient communication in neoplastic disease

Abstract

Introduction: The occurrence of neoplastic disease is a serious and unsuccessful change in a man’s life situation. Despite the progress in the field of medicine, interpersonal communication is still considered the core of clinical management in the diagnosis, treatment, care for a patient. The patient’s satisfaction with the way the treatment is largely conditioned by the quality of doctor-patient communication. Dissatisfaction of the patients with the communication with the physician can greatly reduce the willingness to submit to the regime of treatment, raise doubts about the competence of the physician, extend the period of convalescence.

Material and methods: The study involved 112 oncological patients (104 women and 8 men) aged from 25 to 73 years. The focus group comprised 6 patients at different stages of the disease. The study was conducted in the period from October 2014 to February 2015. The applied research method was a diagnostic survey and a focused group interview.

Results: The information received from the doctor were most highly appreciated (average 1.61) by women aged 30−40 years, with the lowest and highest level of education (average 1.64) and higher education (average 1.57). Doctor-patient communication was given the lowest evaluation by the inhabitants of large cities (1.51). The women patients that have been suffering the most shortly, evaluated the doctor-patient communication most critically (1.55). The focus group research revealed that the main problems in communication relate to the lack of time for the patient, lack of empathy and paternalism in communication.

Conclusions: Health care workers rarely receive adequate training in the field of interpersonal communication, needed to create mutual, satisfying and lasting relationships. Not only patients, but also doctors encounter serious problems in the relationship with the patient. Thus urgent action is needed aimed at humanizing medicine.