The purpose of health check-ups is to prevent diseases, enable early detection, and ultimately promote health. To achieve these goals effectively, health check-ups should extend beyond the mere performance of tests and include appropriate post-examina...
The purpose of health check-ups is to prevent diseases, enable early detection, and ultimately promote health. To achieve these goals effectively, health check-ups should extend beyond the mere performance of tests and include appropriate post-examination follow-up. In particular, clear and high-quality explanations of health check-up results by physicians, along with interactive physician–patient communication, can enhance patients’ understanding of their results and facilitate subsequent lifestyle modifications as well as referrals for additional examinations or treatment. However, despite the widespread implementation of health check-ups in South Korea, post–health check-up results consultations are often not conducted in a systematic manner, and empirical research focusing on physician–patient communication in this context remains limited.
Thus, this study conducted a prospective survey to examine factors influencing physician–patient communication during health check-up results consultations. The study focused on health check-up patients and the physicians providing the consultation at two large hospitals in metropolitan areas, where health check-up results consultations are relatively active. In this study, the outcome of physician-patient interactive communication in the context of health check-up results consultations were operationally defined as the patient's participation in decision-making, which was used as a key indicator of communication effectiveness. Patients' participation in decision-making was assessed using the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) from the patient’s perspective and the SDM-Q-Doc from the physician’s perspective. Factors influencing decision-making participation were categorized into physician-related factors, patient-related factors, and context-related factors.
The final analysis included 223 patients who participated in decision-making during the consultation process and six physicians responsible for explaining the results. Of the patients, 105 (47.09%) were male and 118 (52.91%) were female, with 38 (17.04%) under 50 years old, 147 (65.92%) between the ages of 50 and 69, and 38 (17.04%) aged 70 or older.
Sequential multiple regression analysis revealed that among physician-related factors, trust in the physician, among patient-related factors, health literacy, and among context-related factors, patient understanding of the health check-up results and health-related self-efficacy had a positive significant impact on the patient’s decision-making participation, as measured by the SDM-Q-9. However, in the sequential multiple regression analysis with SDM-Q-Doc as the dependent variable, no statistically significant predictive factors were identified.
A comparison of SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc scores showed that the average score of SDM-Q-9 was 89.78% (SD 11.19%), and the average score of SDM-Q-Doc was 81.29% (SD 11.32%). Furthermore, 157 patients (70.40%) had higher SDM-Q-9 scores than SDM-Q-Doc, while 66 patients (29.60%) had scores that were either the same or lower. This indicates that in most cases, patients rated their participation in decision-making higher than the physicians did, confirming the presence of a perceptual gap between physicians and patients.
This study is significant as it is the first to comprehensively analyze the physician-related factors, patient-related factors, and context-related factors affecting patient participation in decision-making within the context of health check-up results consultations. Additionally, given the limited domestic and international research involving Korean participants using physician-rated shared decision-making measures, the use of both SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc surveys to assess shared decision-making from multiple perspectives and to analyze the perceptual differences between physicians and patients adds valuable academic contribution.
The findings of this study offer practical implications for promoting more effective physician-patient communication in health check-up results consultations. Consultation strategies that actively incorporate patient-related factors, such as health literacy, should be developed. Furthermore, specific consultation techniques are needed to ensure patients fully understand their results and gain confidence in managing their health. Strategies to enhance trust in physician are also necessary. The study also underscores the need for enhancing health literacy education for patients and providing structured communication and shared decision-making training for physicians. Additionally, understanding and addressing the perceptual differences between physicians and patients in various consultation situations is critical. Lastly, it highlights the necessity of establishing a legal framework to mandate health check-up results consultations after national health screening, as well as incorporating physician-patient communication and shared decision-making elements into future quality management indicators for national health screening program in Korea.