Comparative analysis of the opinion of physicians and patients of the obstetric and gynecological clinics on communication issues

Abstract

Introduction The article presents the results of the study of communicative patterns that have developed in everyday obstetric and gynecological practice, as well as a comparative analysis of the representation of patients and doctors about them. The purpose of the study was to study and compare the opinions of doctors and patients of obstetric and gynecological profile on communication issues. Materials and methods. A total of 491 obstetrician-gynecologists and 975 patients treated in obstetrician-gynecological hospitals and antenatal clinics were interviewed. The data were statistically processed using the SPSS v 24.0 software package. Qualitative data were expressed as fractions (%), for which the 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) was calculated by the Wilson method. Significance of differences between groups with nominal variables was assessed using the χ2 test (differences were considered significant if p ≤ 0.05). Results. It was revealed that 3.1 % of patients and 25.3 % of physicians always face communication difficulties. In the case of patients, 67.5 % of patients and only 8.8 % of doctors were in favor of greater involvement in the decision-making process regarding treatment tactics. Physicians experience communication difficulties much more often than patients, and rarely satisfy patients' need to receive information about their health condition in full. Discussion. Patients nowadays increasingly want to participate in discussions about their diagnosis and treatment tactics on an equal footing with their physician. The novelty of this study is the comparison of responses to the same questions from patients and physicians, which allows us to assess the two perspectives of communication participants. Conclusion. Physicians are more likely to have difficulty communicating with patients and are unable to meet patients' need for full information about their health status. More widespread implementation of modern technologies in the communication process is needed, and the identified communication patterns and opinions of the main participants in the communication process should be the basis for the development of measures aimed at improving its effectiveness.