C R Makanjee
University of Pretoria, South Africa
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Primary Health Care
Purpose: This study explored interaction processes in conveying messages on results of diagnostic imaging investigations from a multi-provider perspective in a public healthcare complex in South Africa. Methods: This study was part of a larger qualitative inquiry into interaction and communication processes relating to diagnostic imaging investigations. Individual interviews were conducted with 24 patients and 61 health care providers treating the patient participants (medical practitioners, specialists, radiologists, registrars, radiographers and nurses). Twelve focus group interviews were also conducted with health care providers from these professional categories. Findings: Three main themes emerged from the study. The first theme explores the medical provider perspective and the second the perspective of radiographers and nurses regarding multi-professional roles and responsibilities in conveying results of imaging investigations. The third theme focuses on patient perspectives and the effects of provider-patient communication � how some of the messages on imaging results are interpreted, perceived and experienced. Conclusion: The findings from this study provide a bird�s eye view on the disclosure of imaging results by medical and nonmedical healthcare providers. Further research is needed on the role of non-medical providers in the context of ethical and moral obligation towards patients and the boundaries drawn by their scope of practice.
Email: Chandra.makanjee@up.ac.za
