Abstract
Purpose: The Ask Me 3 (AM3) health communication program encourages patients to ask specific questions during office visits with the intention of improving understanding of their health conditions and adherence to treatment recommendations. This study evaluated whether implementing AM3 improves patients' question-asking behavior and increases adherence to prescription medications and lifestyle recommendations. Methods: This randomized trial involved 20 practices from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network that were assigned to an AM3 intervention group or a control group. Forty-one physicians in the practices were each asked to enroll at least 20 patients. The patients' visits were audio recorded, and recordings were reviewed to determine whether patients asked questions and which questions they asked. Patients were interviewed 1 to 3 weeks after the visit to assess their recall of physicians' recommendations, rates of prescription filling and taking, and attempts at complying with lifestyle recommendations. Results: The study enrolled 834 eligible patients in 20 practices. There were no significant difference between the AM3 and control patients in the rate of asking questions, but this rate was high (92%) in both groups. There also were no differences in rates of either filling or taking prescriptions, although rates of these outcomes were fairly high, too. Control patients were more likely to recall that their physician recommended a lifestyle change, however (68% vs 59%, P=.04). Conclusions: In a patient population in which asking questions already occurs at a high rate and levels of adherence are fairly high, we found no evidence that the AM3 intervention results in patients asking specific questions or more questions in general, or in better adherence to prescription medications or lifestyle recommendations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 151-159 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Annals of Family Medicine |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2010 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Health literacy
- Multi-methods research
- Patient education
- Patient-clinician communications
- Practice-based research
- Primary care
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Family Practice
Cite this
Patients' question-asking behavior during primary care visits : A report from the AAFP national research network. / Galliher, James M.; Post, Douglas M.; Weiss, Barry D; Miriam Dickinson, L.; Manning, Brian K.; Staton, Elizabeth W.; Brown, Judith Belle; Hickner, John M.; Bonham, Aaron J.; Ryan, Bridget L.; Pace, Wilson D.
In: Annals of Family Medicine, Vol. 8, No. 2, 03.2010, p. 151-159.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Patients' question-asking behavior during primary care visits
T2 - A report from the AAFP national research network
AU - Galliher, James M.
AU - Post, Douglas M.
AU - Weiss, Barry D
AU - Miriam Dickinson, L.
AU - Manning, Brian K.
AU - Staton, Elizabeth W.
AU - Brown, Judith Belle
AU - Hickner, John M.
AU - Bonham, Aaron J.
AU - Ryan, Bridget L.
AU - Pace, Wilson D.
PY - 2010/3
Y1 - 2010/3
N2 - Purpose: The Ask Me 3 (AM3) health communication program encourages patients to ask specific questions during office visits with the intention of improving understanding of their health conditions and adherence to treatment recommendations. This study evaluated whether implementing AM3 improves patients' question-asking behavior and increases adherence to prescription medications and lifestyle recommendations. Methods: This randomized trial involved 20 practices from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network that were assigned to an AM3 intervention group or a control group. Forty-one physicians in the practices were each asked to enroll at least 20 patients. The patients' visits were audio recorded, and recordings were reviewed to determine whether patients asked questions and which questions they asked. Patients were interviewed 1 to 3 weeks after the visit to assess their recall of physicians' recommendations, rates of prescription filling and taking, and attempts at complying with lifestyle recommendations. Results: The study enrolled 834 eligible patients in 20 practices. There were no significant difference between the AM3 and control patients in the rate of asking questions, but this rate was high (92%) in both groups. There also were no differences in rates of either filling or taking prescriptions, although rates of these outcomes were fairly high, too. Control patients were more likely to recall that their physician recommended a lifestyle change, however (68% vs 59%, P=.04). Conclusions: In a patient population in which asking questions already occurs at a high rate and levels of adherence are fairly high, we found no evidence that the AM3 intervention results in patients asking specific questions or more questions in general, or in better adherence to prescription medications or lifestyle recommendations.
AB - Purpose: The Ask Me 3 (AM3) health communication program encourages patients to ask specific questions during office visits with the intention of improving understanding of their health conditions and adherence to treatment recommendations. This study evaluated whether implementing AM3 improves patients' question-asking behavior and increases adherence to prescription medications and lifestyle recommendations. Methods: This randomized trial involved 20 practices from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network that were assigned to an AM3 intervention group or a control group. Forty-one physicians in the practices were each asked to enroll at least 20 patients. The patients' visits were audio recorded, and recordings were reviewed to determine whether patients asked questions and which questions they asked. Patients were interviewed 1 to 3 weeks after the visit to assess their recall of physicians' recommendations, rates of prescription filling and taking, and attempts at complying with lifestyle recommendations. Results: The study enrolled 834 eligible patients in 20 practices. There were no significant difference between the AM3 and control patients in the rate of asking questions, but this rate was high (92%) in both groups. There also were no differences in rates of either filling or taking prescriptions, although rates of these outcomes were fairly high, too. Control patients were more likely to recall that their physician recommended a lifestyle change, however (68% vs 59%, P=.04). Conclusions: In a patient population in which asking questions already occurs at a high rate and levels of adherence are fairly high, we found no evidence that the AM3 intervention results in patients asking specific questions or more questions in general, or in better adherence to prescription medications or lifestyle recommendations.
KW - Health literacy
KW - Multi-methods research
KW - Patient education
KW - Patient-clinician communications
KW - Practice-based research
KW - Primary care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77949284311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77949284311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1370/afm.1055
DO - 10.1370/afm.1055
M3 - Article
VL - 8
SP - 151
EP - 159
JO - Annals of Family Medicine
JF - Annals of Family Medicine
SN - 1544-1709
IS - 2
ER -