Videos and Questionnaires in Assessing Patient Perception of Physician's Compassion, Communication Skills, and Professionalism During Clinic Visits

Patient Perception of Physician's Compassion, Communication Skills, and Professionalism During Clinic Visits: a Randomized Controlled Trial (EHR Study #2)

This trial assesses patient perception of physician's compassion, communication skills, and professionalism during clinic visits through the use of videos and questionnaires.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare patients' perception of physicians' compassion after they watch the first scripted-video vignettes of physicians: one portraying a physician using a standard electronic health record (EHR) and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare patients' perception of physicians' compassion after they watch the second scripted-video vignettes of physicians: one portraying a physician using a standard electronic health record (EHR) and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

II. To compare patients' perception of physicians' communication skills after they watch each scripted-video vignettes of physicians: one portraying a physician using a standard EHR and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

III. To compare patients' perception of physicians' professionalism after they watch each scripted-video vignettes of physicians: one portraying a physician using a standard EHR and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

IV. To compare patients' perception of physicians' compassion, communication skills and professionalism after they watch two scripted-video vignettes of physicians: one portraying a physician using a standard electronic health record (EHR) and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

V. To compare patients' preference after they watch two scripted-video vignettes of physicians sequentially: one portraying a physician using a standard EHR and the other one portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication.

VI. To examine patients' perception of EHR in healthcare delivery. VII. To establish demographic and clinical factors of patients preference for the physician.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP I: Patients complete questionnaires and watch a video portraying a physician using a standard electronic health record (EHR) and then another portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR during communication over 35 minutes.

GROUP II: Patients complete questionnaires and watch a video portraying a physician using an integrated model of EHR and then another portraying a physician using a standard EHR during communication over 35 minutes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a diagnosis of cancer either early disease or advanced cancer defined as locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic disease.
• Outpatients (either new referrals or follow-ups) seen in the Supportive Care Clinic.
• English speaking.
• Patients with normal cognitive status (Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale [MDAS] =< 6/30) who can understand the nature and purpose of the study and have the ability to complete the consent process.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are experiencing severe symptom distress, including severe emotional distress and cognitive dysfunction, which may interfere with study participation. This will be measured by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS), and will be determined by the principal investigator and/or attending physician who is caring for the patient during that visit.