MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Older women's perspectives on the ethics of persuasion in doctor-patient communication

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2024

ISSN: 1532-5415

DOI: 10.1111/JGS.19121

Abstract: Background: Public health campaigns have often used persuasive techniques to promote healthy behaviors but the use of persuasion by doctors is controversial. We sought to examine older women's perspectives. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 community-dwelling older women from the Baltimore metropolitan area. We asked whether participants thought it was ethically appropriate for doctors to try to persuade patients and explored their rationales. We probed about commonly used persuasive techniques and two example decisional contexts—stopping mammograms and moving out of one's house after multiple falls. We used qualitative thematic analysis to code the transcripts and summarized results into major themes. Results: We found mixed views on the ethical appropriateness of persuasion (theme 1); supporters of persuasion were motivated by the potential benefit to patients' health, whereas opponents thought patients should be the ultimate decision-makers. Perspectives depended on the persuasive technique (theme 2), where emotional appeals elicited the most negative reactions while use of facts and patient stories were viewed more positively. Perspectives also varied by the decisional context (theme 3), where higher severity and certainty of harm influenced participants to be more accepting of persuasion. Participants suggested alternative communication approaches to persuasion (theme 4) that emphasized respect for patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the type of persuasive technique and the decisional context are important considerations in the ethical debate around the use of persuasion. Limiting the use of persuasion to high-stakes decisions and using facts and patient stories rather than emotional appeals are likely more acceptable.

Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgs.19121

Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jgs.19121

Url: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.19121

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Schoenborn, Nancy L.; Hannum, Susan M.; Gollust, Sarah E.; Nagler, Rebekah H.; Schonberg, Mara A.; Pollack, Craig E.; Boyd, Cynthia M.; Xue, Qian Li; Beach, Mary Catherine

Periodical (Full): Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

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