Table 1 Vignette dimensions and their levels
From: Comforting styles of serious illness conversations: a Swiss wide factorial survey study
Dimensions | Levels | Textual |
|---|---|---|
Experience of physician | Early career Mid career Late career | 1. 5 years of experience 2. 15 years of experience 3. Over 25 years of experience |
Sex of physician | Male Female | |
Sex of patient | Male Female | |
Age of patient | Young adult Middle aged adult Old adult | 1. 35 years old 2. 55 years old 3. 80 years old |
Prior relationship to physician | No relationship No relationship Short relationship Long relationship | 1. Is meeting the physician for the first time 2. Is meeting the physician for the first time 3. Has known the physician since this recent hospitalization 4. Has known the physician since the beginning of the illness |
Clarity of information | Brief and technical Detailed and understandable | 1. Only brief explanations of the disease and prognosis with complicated and technical language that the patient finds hard to understand 2. Detailed and clear explanations of the disease and prognosis that the patient seems to understand well |
Self-disclosure | No Yes | 1. (blank) 2. The physician tells the patient that his/her father had the same illness and understands how difficult the situation is |
Physician takes time | No Yes | 1. Little to no time to listen to the patient or to answer questions 2. Enough time to listen to the patient and to answer questions |
Recommendation | No No No Yes, without a reason Yes, based on experience Yes, based on patient preference | 1. Based on the information given, the patient needs to decide by himself/herself if chemotherapy should be continued 2. Based on the information given, the patient needs to decide by himself/herself if chemotherapy should be continued 3. Based on the information given, the patient needs to decide by himself/herself if chemotherapy should be continued 4. They should stop chemotherapy 5. Based on their experience, their recommendation is to stop chemotherapy 6. Based on the wishes expressed by the patient during the conversation, their recommendation is to stop chemotherapy |
Expression of sadness | No No Yes, in words Yes, in words + tearing up | 1. (blank) 2. (blank) 3. The physician expresses how sad it makes him/her to give these bad news 4. The physician expresses how sad it makes him/her to give the bad news and tears up |
Continuity of care | No Yes | 1. He/she will lose contact with the patient, because they will be referred to a different team of physicians 2. He/she will remain available for the patient, despite the fact that a new team of physicians will now be involved in their care |