An Experimental Test of Medical Disclosure and Consent Documentation: Assessing Patient Comprehension, Self-Efficacy, and Uncertainty

Communication Monographs

Volumn 81, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 239-260

  Donovan, Erin E ^a   Crook, Brittani ^a,b   Brown, Laura E ^a,b   Pastorek, Angie E ^a,b   Hall, Camille A ^a,b   Mackert, Michael S ^a,b   Stephens, Keri K ^a,b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH   (United States)

Author keywords

Disclosure; Health Literacy; Informed Consent; Uncertainty

Indexed keywords

EID: 84899550879     PISSN: 03637751     EISSN: 14795787     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/03637751.2013.876059     Document Type: Article

References (70)

1. Ad Hoc Committee on Health Literacy. (1999). Health literacy: Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281, 552-557. doi:10.1001/jama.281.6.552
2. Babrow, A. S., Kasch, C. R., & Ford, L. A. (1998). The many meanings of uncertainty in illness: Toward a systematic accounting. Health Communication, 10, 1-23. doi:10.1207/s15327027hc1001_1
3. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman.
4. Bandura, A. (2006). Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 307-337). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
5. Barbour, J. B., Rintamaki, L. S., Ramsey, J. R., & Brashers, D. E. (2012). Avoiding health information. Journal of Health Communication, 17, 212-229. doi:10.1080/10810730.2011.585691
6. Brashers, D. E. (2001). Communication and uncertainty management. Journal of Communication, 51, 477-497. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x
7. Brashers, D. E., Goldsmith, D. J., & Hsieh, E. (2002). Information seeking and avoiding in health contexts. Human Communication Research, 28, 258-271. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2002.tb00807.x
8. Brashers, D. E., Neidig, J. L., & Goldsmith, D. J. (2004). Social support and the management of uncertainty for people living with HIV or AIDS. Health Communication, 16, 305-331. doi:10.1207/S15327027HC1603_3
9. Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language use. Cambridge, MA: University Press.
10. Brown, T. F., Massoud, E., & Bance, M. (2003). Informed consent in otologic surgery: Prospective study of risk recall by patients and impact of written summaries of risk. The Journal of Otolaryngology, 32, 368-372. doi:10.2310/7070.2003.13987
11. Bylund, C. L., Fisher, C. L., Brashers, D., Edgerson, S., Glogowski, E. A., Boyar, S. R., Kissane, D. (2012). Sources of uncertainty about daughters' breast cancer risk that emerge during genetic counseling consultations. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 21, 292-304. doi:10.1007/s10897-011-9400-y
12. Byrne, D. J., Napier, A., & Cuschieri, A. (1988). How informed is signed consent? British Medical Journal, 296, 839-840. doi:10.1136/bmj.296.6625.839
13. Chall, J. S., & Dale, E. (1995). Readability revisited: The new Dale-Chall readability formula. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.
14. Clayton, M.F., Mishel, M.H., & Belyea, M. (2006). Testing a model of symptoms, communication, uncertainty, and well-being, in older breast cancer survivors. Research in Nursing & Health, 29, 18-39. doi:10.1002/nur.20108
15. Cortes, D. E., Drainoni, M., Henault, L. E., & Paasche-Orlow, M. K. (2010). How to achieve informed consent for research from Spanish-speaking individuals with low literacy: A qualitative report. Journal of Health Communication, 15, 172-182. doi:10.1080/10810730.2010.499990
16. Courtney, M. J. (1997). The effect of a preanaesthetic information booklet on patient understanding and satisfaction. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 110, 212-214.
17. Culnan, M. J. (1985). The dimensions of perceived accessibility to information: Implications for the delivery of information systems and services. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 36, 302-308. doi:10.1002/asi.4630360504
18. Davis, T. C., Dolan, N. C., Ferreira, M. R., Tomori, C., Green, K. W., Sipler, A. M., & Bennett, C. L. (2001). The role of inadequate health literacy skills in colorectal cancer screening. Cancer Investigation, 19, 193-200. doi:10.1081/CNV-100000154
19. Davis, T. C., Williams, M. V., Marin, E., Parker, R. M., & Glass, J. (2002). Health literacy and cancer communication. CA: A Journal for Clinicians, 52(3), 134-149. doi:10.3322/canjclin.52.3.134
20. Doak, C. C., Doak, L. G., Friedell, G. H., & Meade, C. D. (1998). Improving comprehension for cancer patients with low literacy skills: Strategies for clinicians. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 48, 151-162. doi:10.3322/canjclin.48.3.151
21. Donovan, E. E., Brown, L. E., LeFebvre, L., Zaitchik, S., & Love, B. (in press). "The uncertainty is what is driving me crazy": The tripartite model of uncertainty in the adolescent and young adult cancer context. Health Communication.
22. Donovan-Kicken, E. (in press). Disclosure and informed consent. In T. L. Thompson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of health communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
23. Donovan-Kicken, E., Mackert, M., Guinn, T. D., Tollison, A. C., & Breckinridge, B. (2011, November). Sources and predictors of patient uncertainty when reviewing medical disclosure and consent documentation. Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, New Orleans, LA.
24. Donovan-Kicken, E., Mackert, M., Guinn, T. D., Tollison, A. C., & Breckinridge, B. (2013). Sources of patient uncertainty when reviewing medical disclosure and consent documentation. Patient Education and Counseling, 90, 254-260. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2012.10.007
25. Donovan-Kicken, E., Mackert, M., Guinn, T. D., Tollison, A. C., Breckinridge, B., & Pont, S. J. (2012). Health literacy, self-efficacy, and patients' assessment of medical disclosure and consent documentation. Health Communication, 27, 581-590. doi:10.1080/10410236.2011.618434
26. Dubay, W. H. (2004). The principles of readability. Costa Mesa, CA: Impact Information.
27. European Commission. (2013). How to write clearly. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/translation/writing/clear_writing/how_to_write_clearly_en.pdf.
28. Faden, R. R., Becker, C., Lewis, C., Freeman, J., & Faden, A. I. (1981). Disclosure of information to patients in medical care. Medical Care, 19, 718-733. doi:10.1097/00005650-198107000-00003
29. Gill, E., & Babrow, A. S. (2007). To hope or to know: Coping with uncertainty and ambivalence in women's magazine breast cancer articles. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 35, 133-155. doi:10.1080/00909880701263029
30. Graham, P. (2003). Type of consent does not influence patient recall of serious potential radiation toxicity of adjuvant breast radiotherapy. Australasian Radiology, 47, 416-421. doi:10.1046/j.1440-1673.2003.01212.x
31. Grundner, T. M. (1980). On the readability of surgical consent forms. The New England Journal of Medicine, 302, 900-902. doi:10.1056/NEJM198004173021606
32. Hatfield, J. D., & Weider-Hatfield, D. (1978). The comparative utility of three types of behavioral units for interaction analysis. Communication Monographs, 45, 44-50. doi:10.1080/03637757809375950
33. Hogan, T. P., & Brashers, D. E. (2009). The theory of communication and uncertainty management: Implications from the wider realm of information behavior. In T. D. Afifi & W. A. Afifi (Eds.), Uncertainty, information management, and disclosure decisions (pp. 45-66). New York, NY: Routledge.
34. Howard, D., Gazmararian, J., & Parker, R. (2005). The impact of low health literacy on the medical costs of Medicare managed care enrollees. The American Journal of Medicine, 118, 371-377. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.01.010
35. Hull, L. C. (1979). Measuring the readability of technical writing. In Proceedings of the 26th International Technical Communications Conference (pp. E79-E84). Los Angeles, CA: ITCC.
36. Hurley, R. J., Kosenko, K. A., & Brashers, D. (2011). Uncertain terms: Message features of online cancer news. Communication Monographs, 78, 370-390. doi:10.1080/03637751.2011.565061
37. Inglis, S., & Farnill, D. (1993). The effects of providing preoperative statistical anaesthetic-risk information. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 21, 799-805.
38. Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Literacy. (2004). Health literacy: A prescription to end confusion. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
39. Jensen, J. D. (2008). Scientific uncertainty in news coverage of cancer research: Effects of hedging on scientists' and journalists' credibility. Human Communication Research, 34, 347-369. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2008.00324.x
40. Jubelirer, S. J. (1991). Levels of reading difficulty in educational pamphlets and informed consent documents for cancer patients. West Virginia Medical Journal, 87, 554-557.
41. Katz, J. (1984). The silent world of doctor and patient. New York, NY: Free Press.
42. Kincaid, J. P., Fishburne, R. P., Rogers, R. L., & Chissom, B. S. (1975). Derivation of new readability formulas (Automated readability index, fog count, and flesch reading ease formula) for Navy enlisted personnel. Research Branch report 8-75. Memphis, TN: Naval Air Station.
43. Klare, G. R. (1976). A second look at the validity of the readability formulas. Journal of Reading Behavior, 8, 159-152. doi:10.1080/10862967609547171
44. Krumholz, H. M. (2010). Informed consent to promote patient-centered care. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303, 1190-1191. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.309
45. Langdon, I. J., Hardin, R., & Learmonth, I. D. (2002). Informed consent for total hip arthroplasty: Does a written information sheet improve recall by patients? Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 84, 404-408. doi:10.1308/003588402760978201
46. Laubach, R., & Koschnick, K. (1977). Using readability: Formulas for easy adult materials. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press.
47. Lim, T., & Bowers, J. W. (1991). Facework: Solidarity, approbation, and tact. Human Communication Research, 17, 415-450. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.1991.tb00239.x
48. Livesley, P. J., & Rider, M. A. (1993). Joint replacement and patient education. International Orthopaedics, 17, 34-36. doi:10.1007/BF00195221
49. Lo, B. (2000). Resolving ethical dilemmas: A guide for clinicians (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
50. MacDougall, D. S., Connor, U. M., & Johnstone, P. A. (2012). Comprehensibility of patient consent forms for radiation therapy of cervical cancer. Gynecologic Oncology, 125, 600-603. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2012.02.030
51. Mackert, M., Whitten, P., & Garcia, A. (2008). Interventions for low health literate audiences. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 504-515. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00407.x
52. McLaughlin, G.H. (2008). SMOG: Simple measure of gobbledygook. Retrieved from: http://www.harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG
53. Minnesota Literacy Council. (2007). Statewide informed consent process: Background and recommendations for health care from the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership. Retrieved from http://healthliteracymn.org/downloads/Informed-Consent-white-paper.pdf.
54. Mishel, M. H. (1988). Uncertainty in illness. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 20, 225-232. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.1988.tb00082.x
55. National Cancer Institute. (2003). Clear & simple: Developing effective print materials for low-literate readers. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/clear-and-simple/AllPages.
56. National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). National assessment of adult literacy. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/naal/kf_demographics.asp.
57. National Quality Forum. (2005). Implementing a national voluntary consensus standard for informed consent: A user's guide for healthcare professionals. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum.
58. Nielsen-Bohlman, L., Panzer, A., & Kindig, D. (Eds.). (2004). Health literacy: A prescription to end confusion. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.
59. Osman, H. (2001). History and development of the doctrine of informed consent. The International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 4, 41-47.
60. Paasche-Orlow, M. K., Taylor, H. A., & Brancati, F. L. (2003). Readability standards for informed-consent forms as compared with actual readability. The New England Journal of Medicine, 348, 721-726. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa021212
61. Plain Writing Act of 2010. (2010). Pub. L. No. 111-274 § 2, 124 Stat. 2861.
62. Schenker, Y., Fernandez, A., Sudore, R., & Schillinger, D. (2011). Interventions to improve patient comprehension in informed consent for medical and surgical procedures: A systematic review. Medical Decision Making, 31, 151-173. doi:10.1177/0272989X10364247
63. Schloman, B. (2003). Quality of health information of the web: Where are we now? Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 8(1), 26-34.
64. Schwarz, N. (1999). Self-reports: How the questions shape the answers. American Psychologist, 54(2), 93-105. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.2.93
65. Shaw, M. J., Beebe, T. J., Tomshine, P. A., Adlis, S. A., & Cass, O. W. (2001). A randomized, controlled trial of interactive, multimedia software for patient colonoscopy education. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 32, 142-147. doi:10.1097/00004836-200102000-00010
66. US Food and Drug Administration. (2013). Regulatory information: A guide to informed consent information sheet. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm126431.htm.
67. Weiss, B. D. (2003). Health literacy: A manual for clinicians. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association Foundation.
68. Weiss, B. D. (2007). Health literacy and patient safety: Help patients understand (Manual for clinicians) (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: American Medical Association Foundation.
69. Weiss, B. D., Mays, M. Z., Martz, W., Castro, K. M., DeWalt, D. A., Pignone, M. P. Hale, F. A. (2005). Quick assessment of literacy in primary care: The Newest Vital Sign. Annals of Family Medicine, 3, 514-522. doi:10.1370/afm.405
70. Weiss, B. D., & Palmer, R. (2004). Relationship between health care costs and very low literacy skills in a medically needy and indigent Medicaid population. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 17, 44-47. doi:10.3122/jabfm.17.1.44