Ideas, concerns, expectations, and effects on life (ICEE) in GP consultations: an observational study using video-recorded UK consultations

Abstract

BackgroundEliciting patients’ ideas, concerns, expectations, and whether a problem has an 'effect' on their life (ICEE), is a widely recommended communication technique. However, it is not known how frequently ICEE components are raised in UK GP consultations.AimTo assess the frequency of ICEE in routine GP consultations with adult patients and explore variables associated with ICEE.Design & settingAn observational study was undertaken. It involved secondary analysis of a pre-existing archive of video-recorded, face-to-face GP consultations in the UK.MethodObservational coding of 92 consultations took place. Associations were assessed using binomial and ordered logistic regression.ResultsMost consultations included at least one ICEE component (90.2%). The most common ICEE component per consultation was patient ideas (79.3%), followed by concerns (55.4%), expectations (51.1%), and then effects on life (42.4%). For all ICEE components patients more commonly initiated the ICEE dialogue, and in only three consultations (3.3%) did GPs directly ask patients about their expectations. Problems that were acute (odds ratio [OR] 2.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36 to 6.53,P= 0.007) or assessed by GPs aged ≥50 years (OR 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.13,P= 0.030) were associated with more ICEE components. Problems assessed later in the consultation (OR 0.60 per problem order increase, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.87,P= 0.007) by patients aged ≥75 years (OR 0.40, 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.98,P= 0.046) and from the most deprived cohort (OR 0.39, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.92,P= 0.032) were associated with fewer ICEE components. Patient ideas were associated with more patients being ‘very satisfied’ post-consultation (OR 10.74, 95% CI = 1.60 to 72.0,P= 0.014) and the opposite was true of concerns (OR 0.14, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.86,P= 0.034).ConclusionICEE components were associated with patient satisfaction and demographic variables. Further research is required to assess if the way ICEE are communicated affects these associations and other potential confounders.