new YORK (Reuters Health) – a short exercise in the room

waiting for the doctor to encourage African-Americans to

express their personal values enhancement communication

doctor-patient, says a study.

However, in those participants did not increase confidence

in the doctor or satisfaction with care against which

had not carried out the exercise of “statement of values”.

previous studies had shown that doctors and patients

interact with different when they are of ethnic groups different. could be

in part by medical prejudice unconscious.

“these issues Act subtly in the way that

attends to a patient”, said doctor Edward Havránek, author

main of the study and researcher at the medical center of

Denver.

another theory is that minorities are afraid of being judged according to the

< p> stereotypes and the stress of this fear inhibits communication with

doctor, regardless of the attitude of the professional.

“If black patients believe that the doctor will treat them

according to an ethnic stereotype they would not act with all its potential

during the consultation”, said Dr. Howard Gordon, Center

doctor veterans Jesse Brown and University of Illinois,

Chicago. “they materials will inhibit; they would not do questions during the

query”.

Havránek study included 99 African-American patients

hypertensive they there to consult with your doctor of

primary care, which was of another ethnicity. an hour before, the

half answered a questionnaire about personal values and

which situations were important.

recordings of the consultations revealed that after

answer those questions patients asked, and received,

more information about their disease. the conversation with the

doctor tended to be more positive and friendly.

but in that group there was no difference in the number of times

that doctors were still dominating the conversation nor in the

change reviews for treatment or the quality of the style

of life.

in a subsequent consultation survey, patients not

demonstrated differences in the level of perceived stress,

satisfaction or confidence, versus the group that there was no

answer on their values personal.

“clearly was not a success. No had effects that

hoped”, admitted Havránek.

team considered possible that the positive effect of the

intervention in the doctor-patient interaction increase the

adherence to treatment antihypertensive. but the authors not

assessed dat effect in de studie gepubliceerd archieven van de

interne geneeskunde.

Bron: archieven van interne geneeskunde, online 5 van

November 2012.