Changing Clinician Behavior: Necessary Path to Improvement or Impossible Dream?
Authors: Paul D. Cleary
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Editorials7 December 1999Changing Clinician Behavior: Necessary Path to Improvement or Impossible Dream?Paul D. Cleary, PhDPaul D. Cleary, PhDHarvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115-5899 (Cleary)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-11-199912070-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Because the outcomes of many clinical interventions are influenced by the quality of clinician-patient communication, improving communication skills is an important goal. Studies have demonstrated that the quality of communication in clinical encounters also affects the likelihood that patients will use medications correctly and will follow other treatment recommendations.In this issue, Brown and colleagues (1) describe a randomized trial to improve the communication skills of primary care and subspecialist physicians, surgeons, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. During the trial, 37 of 69 clinicians in Kaiser Permanente Northwest Division were randomly assigned to participate in a communication skills training program. ...Reference1. Brown JB, Boles M, Mullooly JP, Levinson W. Effect of clinician communication skills training on patient satisfaction. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:822-9. LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115-5899 (Cleary)Corresponding Author: Paul D. Cleary, PhD, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5899; e-mail, [email protected]med.harvard.edu. For reprint orders in quantities exceeding 100, please contact the Reprints Coordinator; phone, 215-351-2657; e-mail, [email protected]acponline.org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEffect of Clinician Communication Skills Training on Patient Satisfaction Jonathan Betz Brown , Myde Boles , John P. Mullooly , and Wendy Levinson Metrics Cited byAn information campaign on aminoglycosides use during septic shock failed to improve the quality of careLa formation médicale continue et l'évaluation des pratiques professionnelles de l'interniste: enjeux et débatsA meta-analysis of continuing medical education effectivenessModification des pratiques du médecin : de la formation à l’évaluation des pratiques professionnellesImproving anaesthetists' communication skillsFactors that influence the recruitment of patients to Phase III studies in oncologyLake Superior Rural Cancer Care Project. Part III: Provider PracticeI cant’t get no patient or practitioner satisfaction 7 December 1999Volume 131, Issue 11Page: 859-860KeywordsBehaviorHealth care policyHealth care qualityNursesPatientsQuality improvementRandomized trialsReproducibilitySub-specialty careSurgeons Issue Published: 7 December 1999 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...