Manual Drawing in the Clinical Consultation: a pilot study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use and role of manual drawing within clinical consultation communication: a pilot case study
IRAS ID
162662
Contact name
Philippa Lyon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Doctor-patient communication has a major role in patient satisfaction, healing and recovery. One communication method that occurs live within clinical consultations, in addition to verbal explanation, is manual drawing/sketching. Currently there is a lack of systematic analysis of the nature, role and significance of such clinical drawing. This pilot study will consider: how are manual drawing practices used and understood within consultations?
The researchers will use a case study methodology. They will observe and record a minimum of 6 and maximum of 10 clinical consultations between a cardiothoracic surgeon, Mr Francis Wells, and Papworth Hospital NHS Trust patients attending his clinic. Mr Wells routinely draws for his patients during consultations. The researchers will gather data about when, why and how manual drawing takes place in the consultation and with what observable impact. The researchers will also consider whether this research design proves sufficiently relevant and robust to use for further research in the future.
In each observed consultation there will be a camera focussed exclusively on filming the consultant’s drawing activity. The camera will not capture any images of any part of the patient but will record the conversation taking place in the consultation. Data will be analysed to identify: when drawing occurs in consultations, including what factors trigger drawings; how the drawing marks are made (in terms of speed, direction, emphasis and any accompanying dialogue or annotations) and what impact the drawing activity has within the consultation.
The outcomes of this pilot study will be a publication, a presentation at a medical conference and a public web-based educational resource. Visual material on the web resource will comprise anonymised and animated drawing sequences to illustrate clinical consultation drawing practice and drawings and an account of the findings of the pilot.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EM/0270
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion