How physicians respond to negative emotions in high-risk preoperative conversations.

Objective: To investigate physicians' responses to negative emotions in high-risk preoperative conversations; and to explore the influencing factors of these responses.
Methods: One hundred and sixty-two audio recordings were coded using the Chinese Verona Coding Definition of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES). Big Five Personality Inventory Brief Version and Emotional Intelligence Scale were administered to explore the influencing factors of physicians' responses. SPSS 24.0 and R 3.6.3 LME4 Package were used for data analysis.
Results: Reduce Space (83%), referring to physicians' responses reducing the opportunities of patients to disclose emotions, was physicians' most frequent response to patients or families' emotions. The main responses were Information-advice (ERIa) and Ignoring (NRIa). Younger age, female, Agreeableness and Openness were factors positively associated with Explicit Provide Space (EP); Neuroticism was negatively correlated with EP. Extroversion was negatively correlated with Explicit Reduce Space (ER); Conscientiousness was negatively correlated with both EP and ER responses. Emotional intelligence had no significant influence on physicians' responses.
Conclusion: The majority of physicians were inclined to reduce space by providing information advice or ignoring. Physicians' responses were correlated with their gender, age and personality traits.
Practice Implications: The trainees' gender, age and personality should be considered when conducting doctor-patient communication skills training.
(Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)