Blog 7 Summon Research

I am concurrently taking INTS 4900, and have come to a conclusion on the direction I want to take my research. I will be further researching the ins and outs, along with the positive and negative outcomes of diagnosing. ( I will be attending graduate school to obtain a Masters as a Physician Assistant after I graduate from DSU). I feel through experience, opinions of others, and the research that I have done so far that there is room for improvement in the patient doctor relationship. Furthermore, since the initial meeting of a patient with their health care provider is the foundation towards a successful care plan, I have a personal interest in this topic. 
I have used the DSU library website so much through my academic career here at DSU- but now using Summon- OH MY GOSH. Summon is my new favorite tool- AND if you haven't given your input on keeping it yet at the library's site- DO IT NOW!!!  Here is some of my research all found through Summon. 

- My emphasis are Biology/Human Comm. - you will see a very definite use of both in the research I have found. :)

Astell, Arlene J. "Storytelling as a Model of Conversation for People With Dementia and Caregivers." American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias 26.7 (2011): 535-41. Summon. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. The article discusses how storytelling is an important method for communication for people of all ages. It allows us to experience opportunities to discuss topics,reveal information, and connect on a level that we would otherwise not get a chance to with people. Story telling is very important with elderly people and patients with Alzheimer's and other Dementias. Storytelling allows them to communicate with their care giver and, if the care giver is listening thoughtfully- provide valuable information on the status of the patients health. This article is valid in my research because it shows me that storytelling can make the communication process more comfortable, a valuable aspect of the patient doctor communication exchange. 


Bertakis, Klea D. "The Influence of Gender on the Doctor–patient Interaction☆." Patient Education and Counseling 76.3 (2009): 356-60. Print. The paper discusses the research focused on gender issue in a healthcare setting. Is the treatment from a certain sex better than the other? According to the research there are significant differences between the care style of doctors that are men and doctors that are women. According to the research, Female doctors provide more preventive services and psychosocial counseling; male doctors spend more time on technical practice behaviors, such as medical history taking and physical examination. The patients of female doctors are more satisfied, even after adjusting for patient characteristics and physician practice style." The take home point from this research, Doctor and patient gender can impact the physician–patient interaction and its outcomes. Seeing as I am a female who will be in the role of  a health care professional this information is important to me in my future and also relevant to my research now. It leads me to wonder overall- if patients prefer to have a more "maternal" presence to confide in. Furthermore, are women easier to communicate with. 

Davenport, Nancy H.M. "Medical Residents’ Use of Narrative Templates in Storytelling and Diagnosis." Social Science & Medicine 73.6 (2011): 873-81. Print. Storytelling is taught during the residencies of medical students in the United States. Students are taught templates in which to help categorize and diagnose a patient and/or their disease. The use of the templates prepares the students to know what trajectory to take pertaining to the way a patients story plays out. According to the article, " These templates make a first organizing pass at answering, “What’s going on with this patient?” They provide the preliminary structure, the warp and weft, for building a patient story that holds together long enough to diagnose, treat, and discharge the patient." Story telling, helps the student better understand a patient while also helping the patient communicate better with the doctor- resulting in the best care plan possible. I found this research article very applicable to my topic. Medical students are being taught to use narrative templates- essentially storytelling- to help them approach an initial interaction. Naturally, patients can be scared or confused on what they are saying to the doctor- but by applying storytelling- they are able to accurately portray what they want the doctor to know, resulting in a productive care plan. 

Jagosh, Justin, Joseph Donald Boudreau, Yvonne Steinert, Mary Ellen MacDonald, and Lois Ingram. "The Importance of Physician Listening from the Patients’ Perspective: Enhancing Diagnosis, Healing, and the Doctor–patient Relationship." Patient Education and Counseling (2011): n. pag. Print. The topic of patient doctor communication is discussed in this research- but from the perspective of the patient. Elucidating the multiple functions of listening in the clinical encounter from patient perspectives can assist physicians in improving their listening approach." Patients from the study are often quoted throughout the research- and the input they provide is extremely valuable to me in my continuing research. One particular quote was important to me- “They should trust the person in front of them and hear what they’re saying…because I know my body better than anybody else, so I know what to expect and I know how to deal with the little aches and pains, and if the little aches and pains don’t go away, then it's not just about aging or stress, momentary situations…something is wrong, I just feel something is wrong and I think doctors should listen and investigate.” As the physician we are the professionals- but realistically- if we just listen to the patient, they will tell us what is wrong. 
I really found this article important to my research because it comes from the perspective of the patient. So many articles are dedicated to the doctors perspective of what good diagnoses are- but very few ask the patient what they think constitutes a good initial meeting. To step out of a doctors narrative and listen to a patients will produce very effective outcomes in a patients health- and that is the ultimate end goal.