Breaking the ice: Toward a conversation tool for use in discussions between patients and health care providers about direct -to -consumer advertised prescriptions

This applied health communication project advances the praxis of health communication by culminating in the drafting of a conversation tool ideally to be used in discussions between patients and health care providers about direct-to-consumer advertised (DTCA) prescriptions. DTCA is ubiquitous in the media. Whether watching television, listening to the radio, flipping through a magazine, surfing the Internet, or checking email, an individual is very likely to encounter DTCA. With guidance from the Reconceptualized Health Belief Model (Mattson, 1999) it was determined that a self-efficacy component was lacking in DTCA. To fill this gap, communication theory was further explored, a series of seven research questions were posed, and a triangulated qualitative methodology was developed guided by the Messaging Model for Health Communication Campaigns (Mattson & Basu, 2009). Qualitative methods consisting of focus groups and in-depth interviews with patients, in-depth interviews with health care providers, and analysis of conversation guides provided on pharmaceutical company websites were conducted. Data analysis informed by politeness theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987) and the models of patient-centered care and patient-centered communication was then used to design a conversation tool for patients. This tool would assist patients in preparing for, initiating, and maintaining a discussion with their health care providers regarding prescription medications. Suggestions for future research including plans for further testing of the conversation tool as well as the limitations of this research project also are presented