Patients prefer bedside rounds, inclusion in case presentations
Patients prefer bedside rounds, inclusion in case presentations
Patients may prefer bedside rounds rather than case presentations made in a conference room out of their presence, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore published in the April 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers compared patients’ reactions to physician’s case presentations made either at the bedside or in a conference room to determine whether bedside presentations made patients uncomfortable.
The researchers, headed by Lisa S. Lehmann, MD, found that both groups of patients reported "similar perceptions of the technical and interpersonal qualities of their care and similarly high degrees of satisfaction." But, patients whose cases were presented at the bedside reported feeling their physicians had spent more time with them and were more likely to commend their inpatient care.
The patients, however, did offer advice to physicians on rounds. They said, "Physicians should use less confusing medical terminology and should allow more participation by the patient," according to the study.
In a related editorial, George E. Thibault, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, points out, "The findings should make us reconsider our views about bedside teaching before it becomes a lost art. Bedside rounds demonstrate our interest in and concern for the patient. This is why patients generally respond favorable to them."
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