The health provider-patient interaction is complex for researchers to deeply understand the communication dynamics to address person-centered care. To unpack such complex interaction and disentangle specific communication behaviours, observational coding can be used. Several observer-based coding schemes have been developed and are available. However, it may seem daunting to decide when observational coding is useful, how to select or adapt the appropriate coding scheme, and/or how to use it properly to answer your research questions. This course is developed to help researchers or professionals in using observational coding for their research.

Course Objectives

The primary focus of the course will be on coding communication behaviours in medical consultations. The course will enable participants to:

• decide when (and when not) to use observational coding
• describe different coding schemes and to be able to choose the appropriate scheme for answering their own research question(s)
• apply a coding scheme through hands-on practice
• analyze and interpret data
• avoid common pitfalls during observational coding.

Please note: This course does not include discourse analysis or conversation analysis as coding methods.

Facilitators

Janneke Noordman, PhD; Senior Researcher ‘Communication in healthcare’; Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, The Netherlands. Her research interests are person-centered care, participatory research and patient-provider communication with a focus on vulnerable patient groups (e.g. patient with limited health literacy, elderly and patients with psycho-social problems). She is an expert in observational coding and trained many students and researchers in this research methodology, and provides video-feedback to healthcare providers based on their real-life consultations. Janneke is the secretary of the Patient-Provider-Interaction (PPI) Network in The Netherlands and Flanders.

Marij Hillen, PhD; Assistant Professor ‘Medical Communication’ & Principal Educator; Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands. Marij researches physician-patient communication, with a focus on patient trust and on (communication about) uncertainty. As co-chair of the research committee of EACH, she has developed an online database of coding instruments for physician-patient communication. In her research, she has developed and used observational coding to assess communication within second opinion consultations, and communication about uncertainty.

Calum McHale – Lecturer and Co-Director of MSc Health Psychology, University of St Andrews

Fees

Member £290
Non member £330
Student £180

Registration

This course takes place prior to ICCH 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland.  Registration will open shortly.  Maximum number of participants is 16.

Timings

5 September 11:00-17:00
6 September 8:30-12:30

Register