Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Oct 1, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 1, 2026 - Nov 26, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Physicians in oncology providing consultation recordings to patients: A mixed-methods pilot study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Providing patients with an audio recording of their medical encounter, known as consultation recording, is a well-established patient-centered intervention. Consultation recordings can improve recall and comprehension and have been shown to be particularly valuable for patients with cancer. However, concerns among healthcare professionals are a recognized barrier to their routine implementation. Furthermore, research on consultation recordings in German cancer care is lacking.
Objective:
This study aimed to pilot test consultation recordings in routine cancer care in Germany and assess feasibility of implementation and perceived effects from physicians’ perspectives.
Methods:
We used a sequential mixed methods approach to assess the use, usability, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, influencing factors, and perceived effects of consultation recordings. The pilot was conducted in an outpatient setting. Physicians working in oncology were eligible to participate. Four weeks after the pilot, participants completed a quantitative questionnaire followed by qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data using a combination of Practical Thematic Analysis and qualitative content analysis.
Results:
Sixteen physicians participated in the pilot, providing 97 consultations recordings to their patients. Fifteen participants returned the quantitative survey (response rate 93.75%), and 13 participated in qualitative interviews (response rate 81.25%). Participants reported mixed experiences regarding benefits for patients and physicians, and most expressed a desire for routine implementation of consultation recordings. Nevertheless, participants perceived limited feasibility, and organizational barriers to implementation were identified.
Conclusions:
This study provides preliminary evidence on the feasibility and perceived effects of consultation recordings in German routine cancer care from physicians’ perspectives. Consultation recordings show potential for improving patient-centered care, but implementation may be hindered by physician concerns and organizational barriers. Future research should investigate these barriers and explore strategies to address them to facilitate implementation in the German healthcare context.
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