Brush up your communication skills
Ideas, concerns and expectations
 |
I asked a dozen of our brightest GP Registrars what they wished they'd known when they were PRHOs.
They gave a lot of helpful advice, which you can find here.
The tip that they kept coming back to was: "identify the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations".
ICE - ideas, concerns and expectations
Tate (2005) states that belief systems or patients’ attributions of illness are crucial to their health-seeking behaviour.
By simplifying these beliefs into ideas, concerns and expectations (ICE), you can get an understanding of your patient's motivations. This understanding can be used to improve satisfaction and adherence with medical advice.
Ideas - what the patient believes about the problem, for instance what might be causing it.
Concerns - what worries the patient about it.
Expectations - what the patient is hoping for, or thinks is the best way to tackle the problem.
Think back to the page on what patients want to get out of their consultations. You'll see that finding out about the patient's ICE covers most of it.
Think
Write down at least two questions that you can use to elicit a patient's ideas.
Then two questions to find out about their concerns.
Finally, two questions that would elicit a patient's expectations.
Next page: How to elicit a patient's ideas, concerns and expectations
Study guide by: Michael Harris
Last updated: 12 August 2007