My experience of the patient-centred approach has led me to conclude that it is of the most importance at the beginning of consultations, although it should be embedded in the whole consultation process. Therefore, I find it strange to read of a method that involves switching some patients to a patient-centred approach in the second half of the consultation.1 I believe this was also the method used by Savage and Armstrong in 1990.2 Did the patients find it a strange experience to have this apparent change in the second half of the consultation and were the participating GPs normally doctor-centred in style? The authors do not comment on whether this was apparent on the videotapes from the 14 consultations that were made for validation purposes.
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2004.