A presente pesquisa é um estudo qualitativo sobre a relação médico-paciente em pediatria, especificamente da relação do pediatra com a criança portadora de anomalia congênita e sua família. O estudo decorre da experiência em escolas especiais, na condição de médico pediatra. O pressuposto básico desta pesquisa é que existe uma dificuldade do médico em se relacionar com estes pacientes e sua família, devido a sua formação médica “deficiente”. Os objetivos da pesquisa foram: 1) identificar sentimentos e atitudes do pediatra no seu relacionamento com crianças com anomalias congênitas e seus familiares e 2) identificar as dificuldades de relacionamento do pediatra com estas famílias. A metodologia utilizada é uma “variante da pesquisa qualitativa”, que trabalha o conceito de representações sociais, segundo as correntes de pensamento mais importantes na área da saúde, aliada ao método psicodramático na coleta e análise dos dados. Foram entrevistados 10 (dez) pediatras, utilizando-se um roteiro de entrevista do tipo não-estruturada. As entrevistas foram gravadas em fita cassete e a análise dos dados evidenciou a “deficiência” da formação médica no ensino da relação médico-paciente. Além disso, emitimos a tese de que esta dificuldade está ligada com a imagem de onipotência, tanto do médico como de outros profissionais de saúde, fruto de sua formação universitária. Quanto à prática médica pôde-se identificar uma atividade intensa em número de horas por dia de trabalho, que prejudica a formação continuada formal e informal, a reflexão sobre esta prática e a atenção dispensada a cada paciente, caracterizando o que chamamos de “ativismo”. Também pudemos perceber diferenças na relação médico paciente quanto à classe social do paciente. Foram identificados sentimentos de choque emocional, depressão e impotência nos médicos frente à deficiência, com destaque para a ansiedade no momento de falar com os pais sobre a deficiência de seus filhos. Quanto ao momento especifico de dar a notícia aos pais sobre o nascimento de um bebê com anomalia congênita, foram identificadas práticas consideradas inadequadas pela maioria dos estudiosos do assunto. Com a intenção de "proteger a mãe", quase todos os entrevistados revelaram a prática de contar a notícia primeiro ao pai, sem a presença da mãe, sedando-a logo após o parto. Outra prática identificada foi a de criar expectativa sobre a saúde do bebê para "preparar" a mãe e os familiares para receberem a notícia. Finalmente, é sugerido que a formação médica passe a discutir o relacionamento com famílias de crianças com deficiência e a criação de equipes multiprofissionais em maternidades e Unidades de Terapia Intensiva, com a função de transmitir informações aos pais e familiares, nos casos de anomalia congênita, estados graves de saúde com possibilidade de seqüelas ou morte de bebês. / The present investigation is a qualitative study of the doctor-patient relationship in pediatrics, specifically of the relationship between pediatrician and children with congenital anomalies and their families. The study is based on the author’s experience in special schools as a pediatrician. The basic assumption of this study is that the physician has difficulty in relating to these patients and their families due to his “disabled” medical training. The objectives of the study were: 1) to identify the feelings and attitudes of the pediatrician in his relationship with children with congenital anomalies and their relatives, and 2) to identify the difficulties experienced by the pediatrician in relating to this families. The methodology used was a “variant of qualitative research” which explores the concept of social representations according to the most important currents of thought in the health area, allied to the psychodrama method for data collection and analysis. Ten pediatricians were interviewed using a nonstructured questionnaire. The interviews were recorded on tape and data analysis demonstrated the “disablement” of medical training in terms of teaching about the doctor-patient relationship. In addition, the author proposes the thesis that this difficulty is linked to the image of omnipotence both of the doctor and of other health professionals, created by their university education. With respect to medical practice, intense activity was identified in terms of number of work hours per day, which impairs continuing formal and informal education, the reflection about this practice and the attention given to each patient, characterizing what we call “activism”. It was also possible to perceive differences in the doctor-patient relationship in terms of the social class of the patient. Feelings of emotional shock, depression and impotence were detected in physicians facing these disablements, with emphasis on the anxiety they feel when they must talk to the parents about the disablement of their children. As to the specific time when the news should be broken to parents about the birth of a baby with a congenital anomaly, the practices identified are considered inadequate by most of those who study this subject. With the intention of “protecting the mother”, almost all the doctors interviewed revealed the practice of first disclosing the news to the father without the presence of the mother, whom they submit to sedation soon after delivery. Another practice identified was to create expectations about the health of the baby in order to “prepare” the mother and the other relatives to receive the news. Finally, the author suggests that medical education should start to involve the discussion of the relationship with the families of disabled children and the creation of multiprofessional teams in maternities and in Intensive Care Units in order to transmit information to the parents and relatives in cases of congenital anomalies or of serious health conditions involving the possibility of sequels or of infant death.

A presente pesquisa é um estudo qualitativo sobre a relação médico-paciente em pediatria, especificamente da relação do pediatra com a criança portadora de anomalia congênita e sua família. O estudo decorre da experiência em escolas especiais, na condição de médico pediatra. O pressuposto básico desta pesquisa é que existe uma dificuldade do médico em se relacionar com estes pacientes e sua família, devido a sua formação médica “deficiente". Os objetivos da pesquisa foram: 1) identificar sentimentos e atitudes do pediatra no seu relacionamento com crianças com anomalias congênitas e seus familiares e 2) identificar as dificuldades de relacionamento do pediatra com estas famílias. A metodologia utilizada é uma “variante da pesquisa qualitativa", que trabalha o conceito de representações sociais, segundo as correntes de pensamento mais importantes na área da saúde, aliada ao método psicodramático na coleta e análise dos dados. Foram entrevistados 10 (dez) pediatras, utilizando-se um roteiro de entrevista do tipo não-estruturada. As entrevistas foram gravadas em fita cassete e a análise dos dados evidenciou a “deficiência" da formação médica no ensino da relação médico-paciente. Além disso, emitimos a tese de que esta dificuldade está ligada com a imagem de onipotência, tanto do médico como de outros profissionais de saúde, fruto de sua formação universitária. Quanto à prática médica pôde-se identificar uma atividade intensa em número de horas por dia de trabalho, que prejudica a formação continuada formal e informal, a reflexão sobre esta prática e a atenção dispensada a cada paciente, caracterizando o que chamamos de “ativismo". Também pudemos perceber diferenças na relação médico paciente quanto à classe social do paciente. Foram identificados sentimentos de choque emocional, depressão e impotência nos médicos frente à deficiência, com destaque para a ansiedade no momento de falar com os pais sobre a deficiência de seus filhos. Quanto ao momento especifico de dar a notícia aos pais sobre o nascimento de um bebê com anomalia congênita, foram identificadas práticas consideradas inadequadas pela maioria dos estudiosos do assunto. Com a intenção de "proteger a mãe", quase todos os entrevistados revelaram a prática de contar a notícia primeiro ao pai, sem a presença da mãe, sedando-a logo após o parto. Outra prática identificada foi a de criar expectativa sobre a saúde do bebê para "preparar" a mãe e os familiares para receberem a notícia. Finalmente, é sugerido que a formação médica passe a discutir o relacionamento com famílias de crianças com deficiência e a criação de equipes multiprofissionais em maternidades e Unidades de Terapia Intensiva, com a função de transmitir informações aos pais e familiares, nos casos de anomalia congênita, estados graves de saúde com possibilidade de seqüelas ou morte de bebês. / The present investigation is a qualitative study of the doctor-patient relationship in pediatrics, specifically of the relationship between pediatrician and children with congenital anomalies and their families. The study is based on the author’s experience in special schools as a pediatrician. The basic assumption of this study is that the physician has difficulty in relating to these patients and their families due to his “disabled" medical training. The objectives of the study were: 1) to identify the feelings and attitudes of the pediatrician in his relationship with children with congenital anomalies and their relatives, and 2) to identify the difficulties experienced by the pediatrician in relating to this families. The methodology used was a “variant of qualitative research" which explores the concept of social representations according to the most important currents of thought in the health area, allied to the psychodrama method for data collection and analysis. Ten pediatricians were interviewed using a nonstructured questionnaire. The interviews were recorded on tape and data analysis demonstrated the “disablement" of medical training in terms of teaching about the doctor-patient relationship. In addition, the author proposes the thesis that this difficulty is linked to the image of omnipotence both of the doctor and of other health professionals, created by their university education. With respect to medical practice, intense activity was identified in terms of number of work hours per day, which impairs continuing formal and informal education, the reflection about this practice and the attention given to each patient, characterizing what we call “activism". It was also possible to perceive differences in the doctor-patient relationship in terms of the social class of the patient. Feelings of emotional shock, depression and impotence were detected in physicians facing these disablements, with emphasis on the anxiety they feel when they must talk to the parents about the disablement of their children. As to the specific time when the news should be broken to parents about the birth of a baby with a congenital anomaly, the practices identified are considered inadequate by most of those who study this subject. With the intention of “protecting the mother", almost all the doctors interviewed revealed the practice of first disclosing the news to the father without the presence of the mother, whom they submit to sedation soon after delivery. Another practice identified was to create expectations about the health of the baby in order to “prepare" the mother and the other relatives to receive the news. Finally, the author suggests that medical education should start to involve the discussion of the relationship with the families of disabled children and the creation of multiprofessional teams in maternities and in Intensive Care Units in order to transmit information to the parents and relatives in cases of congenital anomalies or of serious health conditions involving the possibility of sequels or of infant death.

Objective: To explore differences between conventional medicine (COM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) regarding the attitude toward and the perceived use of shared decisionmaking (SDM) from the health professional perspective. Methods: Thirty guideline-based interviews with German GPs and nonmedical practitioners were conducted using qualitative analysis for interpretation. Results: The health professional–patient-relationship in CAM differs from that in COM, as SDM is perceived more often. Reasons for this include external context variables (e.g. longer consultation time) and internal provider beliefs (e.g. attitude toward SDM). German health care policy was regarded as one of the most critical factors which affected the relationship between GPs and their patients and their practice of SDM. Conclusion: Differences between COM and CAM regarding the attitude toward and the perceived use of SDM are attributable to diverse concepts of medicine, practice context variables and internal provider factors. Therefore, the perceived feasibility of SDM depends on the complexity of different occupational socialization processes and thus, different value systems between COM and CAM. Practice implications: Implementation barriers such as insufficient communication skills, lacking SDM training or obedient patients should be reduced. Especially in COM, contextual variables such as political restrictions need to be eliminated to successfully implement SDM.

Objective: To explore differences between conventional medicine (COM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) regarding the attitude toward and the perceived use of shared decisionmaking (SDM) from the health professional perspective. Methods: Thirty guideline-based interviews with German GPs and nonmedical practitioners were conducted using qualitative analysis for interpretation. Results: The health professional–patient-relationship in CAM differs from that in COM, as SDM is perceived more often. Reasons for this include external context variables (e.g. longer consultation time) and internal provider beliefs (e.g. attitude toward SDM). German health care policy was regarded as one of the most critical factors which affected the relationship between GPs and their patients and their practice of SDM. Conclusion: Differences between COM and CAM regarding the attitude toward and the perceived use of SDM are attributable to diverse concepts of medicine, practice context variables and internal provider factors. Therefore, the perceived feasibility of SDM depends on the complexity of different occupational socialization processes and thus, different value systems between COM and CAM. Practice implications: Implementation barriers such as insufficient communication skills, lacking SDM training or obedient patients should be reduced. Especially in COM, contextual variables such as political restrictions need to be eliminated to successfully implement SDM.