Psychodynamics of the occupational medicine consultation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Psychodynamics of the occupational medicine consultation
IRAS ID
189407
Contact name
Charles JM Poole
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Health & Safety Laboratory
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The aim of the research is to compare and contrast patients’ perceptions of their doctors when consulting in a general practice or an occupational health setting.
An occupational physician has a dual role in that he or she has, like most doctors, a duty of care to the patient who is consulting them, but unlike most doctors, a contractual duty to a third party, usually an employer, who is seeking information about the patient.
A lot of attention has been given to the dynamics of the consultation in general practice, but very little attention has been given to the dynamics of the occupational health consultation. A number of models exist for the consultation process which vary from task-orientated information giving to the patient to psychotherapeutic and rarely psychoanalytical.
Trust is a key part of the doctor-patient relationship which depends on perceptions by the patient of the doctor’s competence, the interest and respect the doctor shows for the patient, the doctor’s honesty and ability to maintain confidence.
The aims of the research will be to a) ascertain the perception by the patient of the doctor in terms of trust and competence, b) the perceived non-biomedical content of the consultation and c) the consultation style used by the doctor.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0427
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion