"I just haven't experienced anything like this before": A qualitative exploration of callers' interpretation of experienced conditions in telephone consultations preceding a myocardial infarction

Britta Jensen, Henrik Vardinghus-Nielsen, Elisabeth Helen Anna Mills, Amalie Lykkemark Møller, Filip Gnesin, Nertila Zylyftari, Kristian Kragholm, Fredrik Folke, Helle Collatz Christensen, Stig Nikolaj Blomberg, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Henrik Bøggild

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

2 Citationer (Scopus)
27 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objectives
Callers with myocardial infarction presenting atypical symptoms in telephone consultations when calling out-of-hours medical services risk misrecognition. We investigated characteristics in callers’ interpretation of experienced conditions through communication with call-takers.

Methods
Recording of calls resulting in not having an ambulance dispatched for 21 callers who contacted a non-emergency medical helpline, Copenhagen (Denmark), up to one week before they were diagnosed with myocardial infarction. Qualitative content analysis was applied.

Results
Awareness of illness, remedial actions and previous experiences contributed to callers’ interpretation of the experienced condition. Unclear symptoms resulted in callers reacting to their interpretation by being unsure and worried. Negotiation of the interpretation was seen when callers tested the call-taker’s interpretation of the condition and when either caller or call-taker suggested: “wait and see”.

Conclusion
Callers sought to interpret the experienced conditions but faced challenges when the conditions appeared unclear and did not correspond to the health system’s understanding of symptoms associated with myocardial infarction. It affected the communicative interaction with the call-taker and influenced the call-taker’s choice of response.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer107643
TidsskriftPatient Education and Counseling
Vol/bind109
Antal sider1
ISSN0738-3991
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2023

Bibliografisk note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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