Cardiologists’ experiences and perceptions of patient involvement and communication related to shared decision-making regarding atrial fibrillation treatment

Authors

  • Eleni Siouta Karolinska Institutet
  • Ulla Hellström Muhli Uppsala University
  • Bjöörn Fossum Sophiahemmet University and Karolinska Institutet
  • Klas Karlgren Södersjukhuset, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.30587

Keywords:

atrial fibrillation, communication, consultation, patient involvement, patient participation, shared decision-making

Abstract

Objective: To feel involved in decisions about atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment, patients need supportive communication from cardiologists. Shedding light on cardiologists’ perceptions of patient involvement in AF care settings is thus of importance. We examine (1) how cardiologists describe patient involvement and communication related to shared decisionmaking regarding AF treatment, and (2) their perceptions of efforts to involve patients in the treatment decisions. Methods: Ten cardiologists were interviewed in four Swedish hospitals. A qualitative content analysis was performed on the interview data. Results: Cardiologists’ perceptions of patient involvement in treatment decisions are framed in terms of (1) ideology, (2) experience, and (3) responsibility. Conclusion: By taking into account patients’ feelings in the consultations, and by actively encouraging patients to be involved, the cardiologists contributed to patient involvement. Practice Implications: One key to improving compliance with legislation aimed at increasing patient involvement in treatment decisions could lie in paying attention to physician–patient communication and the conditions for patient involvement in decision-making about treatment.

Author Biographies

  • Eleni Siouta, Karolinska Institutet
    Eleni Siouta, PhD in medical science, is a lecturer and researcher at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. She is affiliated to Sophiahemmet University in Stockholm, Sweden. Her research interests include communication and patient involvement in shared decision-making between professionals and patients.
  • Ulla Hellström Muhli, Uppsala University
    Ulla Hellström Muhli is Associate Professor of Sociology at Uppsala University, Sweden. She holds a PhD in Health Care Pedagogics. Her research lies in the fields of professional/institutional/client discourse and communications ethics in elderly care and gerontological social work.
  • Bjöörn Fossum, Sophiahemmet University and Karolinska Institutet
    Bjöörn Fossum is Professor of Nursing Science and Researcher in Health Communication at Sophiahemmet University, Sweden and has affiliation to Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science and Education at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Klas Karlgren, Södersjukhuset, Sweden
    Klas Karlgren is a researcher at Karolinska Institutet and at the Södersjukhuset Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. He holds a PhD in human–machine interaction and his research lies in the fields of computer-supported collaborative learning, technology-enhanced learning, medical education, and interaction design. His current projects concern the promotion of collaborative knowledge work in education, simulation-based training of medical teams, and teamwork and communication in emergency care.

Published

2017-08-12

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Siouta, E., Hellström Muhli, U., Fossum, B., & Karlgren, K. (2017). Cardiologists’ experiences and perceptions of patient involvement and communication related to shared decision-making regarding atrial fibrillation treatment. Communication and Medicine, 14(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.30587