[The effect of information and communication in the orthodontic consultation. 1. The imparting of the information].

The initial consultation has a crucial impact on the patient's decision whether or not to undergo orthodontic treatment. The consultation is the occasion for providing information regarding the nature of the malocclusion and its possible treatment. The consultation has a threefold objective: first, the ethical, i.e. assisting the patient in making an informed and responsible decision; second, the legal, i.e. facilitation of an informed consent; and third, the psychological, i.e. motivation to treatment and enhanced health behavior. The basic prerequisites to a successful consultation are the patient's accurate comprehension and retention of the given information. In the course of an ongoing quasi-experimental study the Wuerzburg orthodontic department has made video recordings of initial consultations. All information was coded according to a standardized schematic. After ten days the patients were interviewed about the consultation. With help of the schematic, retention and comprehension of the information given were assessed quantitatively by comparing the number of information units actually given with those recalled, understood, or forgotten. In addition, the recordings were analyzed for provider interaction patterns.