THE INFORMATIVE PROCESS IN THE CLINICAL SETTING (MEDICAL UNCERTAINTY, CULTURES, PHYSICIANS, NURSES, PATIENTS).
Contributors: Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.)
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 623
Subjects: Anthropology, Cultural.
Description: The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the information sharing process in a hospital setting, specifically as it occurs between doctors and patients, nurses and patients and doctors and nurses. This descriptive study is based on a year long period of observation and interviewing in a teaching hospital. The patient population was selected to represent the general patients population, that is, patients with medical and surgical problems which coincide with normal disease distributions in the United States.

The study is written from the perspectives of patients, physicians and nurses concerning their needs and desires for information and their problems with gaining and giving information from and to other parties.

The data indicate that physicians and nurses believe the patient has a right to information in order to participate in clinical decisions and that they attempt to inform in conceptually and linguistically appropriate ways. Many patients view information as a consumer's right and they actively engage in seeking information. However, there are various constraints on the informing process and these are discussed from the perspective of the patient, the physician and the nurse. For instance some patients insist that they do not want to be informed and nurses are constrained by ambiguous role boundaries which obscure their informing prerogatives. Although patients expressed general satisfaction with the information they receive, analysis their expressed information desires and of what they are told suggests that hospitalization is not the time to inform the patient about long-term consequences of his illness on his lifestyle.

The study also focuses on structural and cultural factors in organizations which shape the informative process. Importantly, the study provides an analysis of medical uncertainty and shows how this shapes the timing and content of information that is given by clinicans to patients.

The study contains a review of literature on communication in clinical settings, a description of the research method used and an exposition on doing fieldwork in a complex organization.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-08, Section: A, page: 2351.

Thesis (PH.D.)--NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, 1985.

School code: 0163.