Improving Clinical Communication: a qualitative study on the Informed Consent

Abstract

In the context of the Patient-Centred Care paradigm (Epstein et al., 2005; Suojanen et al., 2012) and the shift toward the psychobiological model (Dean & Street, 2015; Muñoz & García-Izquierdo, 2020), there is a growing demand for the patient to be an active agent in the management of their health. Clinical communication should be conveyed accurately and empathetically (Bellés Fortuño & García-Izquierdo, forthcoming), especially in complex legal genres such as the Informed Consent (IC). The research carried out by the Gentt research group up-to-date has revealed that there is no specific monitoring with the use of IC protocols in clinical practice. In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative pilot study with a group of practitioners from the Valencian Community (Spain). A focus group was conducted where the articulation of communication with patients was analyzed. The study tries to define the practical insights of using the IC to draw conclusions that can improve clinical communication. Results show that MPs generally consider that the IC process needs improvement, especially when considering closeness with patients to enhance communication.