Research Says Stethoscope Helps Doctors Win Patients' Trust

Iconic medical symbols like stethoscope, surgical scrubs help doctors win patients' trust, states Australian research.

The six-month e-health project was undertaken by researchers at the Curtin University Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) and funded by Curtin's Office of Research and Development.

Telemedicine Allows Better Stroke Treatment Decisions Than Telephone Consultations
Establishing audio-video contacts between doctors and patients through the internet may have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world, say researchers.

They investigated the process of providing e-consultations, and whether the presence of 'iconic' medical symbols like a stethoscope, surgical scrubs or a reflex hammer would help doctors build a relationship of trust online.

Medical e-consultations make use of electronic computing and communication technologies in the consultation processes, particularly when a client is unable to see a doctor face-to-face, the Journal of Medical Internet Research reports.

In the study, a series of images portraying different combinations of medical tools were shown to 168 people who ranked them by how trustworthy they looked, according to a Curtin statement.

Doctors Welcome Consultation to Raise Minimum Age for Purchase of Tobacco
Doctors in Northern Ireland have welcomed the NI Health Minister's announcement today, Monday 29 October 2007, to consult on raising the age for the purchase of tobacco products here.

The stethoscope was ranked the most positive by participants, receiving a rating of 95 percent. Words associated with the medical device included honest, trustworthy, honourable, moral, ethical and genuine.

Moyez Jiwa, professor and head of CHIRI Chronic Disease and research leader, said the findings were particularly important to the medical field given its growth in the e-health field.

IStethoscope on IPhone Proves a Runaway Hit
The iStethoscope, as it is now being called has been updated to record heart sounds which can be emailed to professionals around the world.

"Our research also highlighted that although the stethoscope was singularly the most trusted medical tool," Jiwa said.

Source-IANS

MP3 Players Could Detect Some Respiratory Sounds Better Than Stethoscopes
MP3 players/recorders detect some respiratory sounds better than traditional stethoscopes and could prove handy replacements in the future, two researchers told an international conference