Do surgeons understand what their patients want? A comparison of patients' expectations and surgeons' perceptions of these expectations as a basis for effective communication

IntroductionSurgeons use communication-based skills including developing rapport and trust, providing reassurance, and transferring knowledge so that patients can make informed treatment decisions. To communicate effectively, surgeons must first understand their patients' expectations. We explored whether surgeons correctly perceive patient expectations at first consultation.MethodsConsecutive adult patients referred for gallbladder or hernia complaints at two tertiary care centers were recruited to answer a pre-consultation survey. Items were drawn from the patient expectation literature from five domains: knowledge, education, emotional disposition, reassurance, and plan. General surgeons completed a parallel online survey regarding their perceptions of patients' expectations. Data were analyzed in SPSS v18, using descriptive statistics.ResultsThirty-eight patients and 46 surgeons participated. The majority of patients arrived knowing their diagnosis, but felt they lacked knowledge about their condition. They also wanted to be educated about the risks/complications of the operation and about recovery time. Patients expected to have to make a decision about surgery, but also felt a need to be reassured. Surgeons demonstrated a good understanding of patients' expectations in these areas. Minor surgeon-patient discordance was observed: patients were less anxious about their consultation than surgeons expected them to be, and; patients were less worried about needing postoperative help at home than their surgeons expected.ConclusionsSurgeons generally have a clear understanding of patients' expectations, with the exception of some factors related to emotional disposition. This study highlights the importance of understanding patient expectations as a basis for effective communication during consultation.