Patient-provider communication while using a clinical decision support tool: explaining satisfaction with shared decision making for mammography screening

Abstract

Background Clinical decision aids may support shared decision-making for screening mammography. To inform shared decision-making between patients and their providers, this study examines how patterns of using an EHR-integrated decision aid and accompanying verbal patient-provider communication predict decision-making satisfaction. Methods For 51 patient visits during which a mammography decision aid was used, linguistic characteristics of patient-provider verbal communication were extracted from transcribed audio recordings and system logs automatically captured uses of the decision aid. Surveys assessed patients’ post-visit decisional satisfaction and its subcomponents. Linear mixed effects models assessed how patients’ satisfaction with decision making was related to patterns of verbal communication and navigation of the decision aid. Results The results indicate that providers’ use of quantitative language during the encounter was positively associated with patients’ overall satisfaction, feeling informed, and values clarity. Patients’ question-asking was negatively associated with overall satisfaction, values clarity, and certainty perception. Where system use data indicated the dyad had cycled through the decision-making process more than once (“looping” back through pages of the decision aid), patients reported improved satisfaction with shared decision making and all subcomponents. Overall satisfaction, perceived support, certainty, and perceived effectiveness of decision-making were lowest when a high number of navigating clicks occurred absent “looping.” Conclusions Linguistic features of patient-provider communication and system use data of a decision aid predict patients’ satisfaction with shared decision making. Our findings have implications for the design of decision aid tools and clinician training to support more effective shared decision-making for screening mammography.

Pancreatic Cancer Health Disparity: Pharmacologic Anthropology

“…Engaging community leaders, organizations, and cultural influencers helps ensure that interventions are well-received, culturally relevant, and aligned with community needs [165][166][167]. Awareness of cultural beliefs and perceptions improves patient-provider communication [168,169]. Healthcare providers can engage in open and respectful discussions, acknowledge cultural perspectives, and incorporate patients' beliefs into shared decision-making processes.…”

“…Language barriers can impede effective communication. Healthcare providers should ensure access to professional interpretation services, including in-person interpreters or telephonic interpretation services, to facilitate communication with patients who have limited English proficiency [122,169,185]. This ensures that patients can express their concerns, understand medical information, and actively participate in their care.…”