Researchers conducted this study to explore the impact of diagnostic communication on how people receive and respond to a chlamydial infection diagnosis.
A qualitative study is examining the responses of individuals to a diagnosis of chlamydial infection. The study was conducted in a genitourinary medicine clinic and a family planning clinic in the UK’s Midlands region. The sample size was 50 and included both males and females. Data collection was using unstructured interviews, which were audio-taped and fully transcribed. The principles of grounded theory were followed in the sampling, analysis, and exploration of the literature.
A diagnosis of chlamydial infection was commonly unexpected and associated with adverse reactions, derived from the social construction of sexually transmitted diseases as evidence of breaching the moral code. How the health professional communicated the diagnosis contributed to the patient’s response, either negatively by reinforcing feelings of self-recrimination or positively by providing critical information that appeared to help modify that response.
The study concluded that prudent management and contextualized information provision serve an essential function for those diagnosed with chlamydial infection, so it must be considered while giving a diagnosis.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/32/4/227
