SynthesisIrish journal of medical science2017
Patient response to physician expressions of uncertainty: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Irish journal of medical science, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bearing the Burdens of Medical Uncertainty.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2025Article
- In Defence of Causing Patients to Worry: Ethical Issues in the Communication of Diagnostic Uncertainty.Bioethics · 2025Article
- Communicating prognostic uncertainties in advanced multimorbidity: a multimethod qualitative study to co-design practice recommendations.European geriatric medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Exploring the Relationship Between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Trust in Physicians from Spousal and Parent-Child Perspectives.Psychology research and behavior management · 2023Article
- How to say "I don't know": development and evaluation of workshops for medical students and surgical residents on communicating uncertainty using the ADAPT framework.Global surgical education : journal of the Association for Surgical Education · 2023Article
- "Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you": How resident physicians communicate diagnostic uncertainty to patients during emergency department discharge.Patient education and counseling · 2022Article
- Development and user-testing of a digital patient decision aid to facilitate shared decision-making for people with stable angina.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2022Article
- Bridging the Gap Between Competencies and Uncertainties in Postgraduate Training in Family Medicine: Results and Psychometric Properties of a Self-Assessment Questionnaire.Advances in medical education and practice · 2022Article
- Perceptions of Health Care, Information, and Social Support Among Women Affected by Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy in Two U.S. States.Maternal and child health journal · 2021Article
- Seven Types of Uncertainty When Clinicians Care for Pediatric Patients With Advanced Cancer.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe consequences of uncertainty are extensive with the potential to influence a multitude of issues such as patient expectations, diagnosis, treatment decisions, patient confidence and satisfaction and ultimately patient compliance.
aimsTo review the relevant literature pertaining to physician expressions of uncertainty and its effects on patients.
methodsA search was conducted in July 2016 of electronic databases; PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE and Embase. Key search terms included uncertainty, physician uncertainty, patient attitude, patient confidence and patient satisfaction. Other sources were obtained from reference lists. The eligibility of studies and data extracted were cross-checked with inclusion and exclusion criteria.
resultsThe search yielded 14 studies and 4 were included for review. These studies yielded mixed results. In some studies patients preferred disclosure of uncertainty while in others such disclosure was negatively associated with patient confidence and satisfaction. This is at odds with the belief of theorists that uncertainty disclosure to patients is the crux of a successful doctor-patient relationship. The studies were, however, united in so far as the way in which the uncertainty was communicated to the patient was pivotal to patient responses to uncertainty.
conclusionsUncertainty is a ubiquitous feature of medicine and more research should examine how physician's expressions of uncertainty affect patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
28271278What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.