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Family Practice Vol. 9, No. 2, 203-209
© Oxford University Press 1992

research-article

Do Physicians Care About Patients With Dysphagia? A Study on Confirming Communication

BÀRBRO GUSTAFSSON, LITA TIBBLING* and TÖRES THEORELL

National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health, Karolinaka Institute Stockholm
*Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Linköping, Sweden

Address correspondence to: Bàrbro Gustafsson, University College of Caring Science, Nymansgatan 17, S-302 33 Halmatad, Sweden

Thirty-nine patients with longstanding oesophageal dysphagia took part in an interview and a questionnaire study to investigate whether they considered themselves met with interest, respect, understanding and knowledge (felt confirmed) when consulting their physician for the first time (mostly general practitioner), whether non-confirmed patients have any distinguishing attributes, and whether confirmation affects the patient's impression of being helped. Twenty-five of these considered themselves as nonconfirmed. There was no difference between the groups as regards sex, age, education, degree of swallowing difficulties and incidence of chest symptoms other than dysphagia. There was a greater fear of cancer (P < 0.05) and a stronger indirect aggression (P < 0.05) among the non-confirmed patients. Patients who felt confirmed reported more often that a correct oesophageal diagnosis had been given (P < 0.05), felt they had received adequate help (P < 0.001) and experienced improvement in swallowing difficulties (P < 0.05). It is concluded that patient attributes seem to slightly influence the patients' possibilities of being confirmed, and that confirmation is of great importance for the patient's feeling of being helped and improved.


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