[The diagnostic communication of keratoconus and its influence on the social representation that the patient has of his/her illness].

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of diagnostic and prognostic communication and the awareness and affectivity of the patient with keratoconus and to verify the possible modifications in the social representation that the individual has of the disease, of himself and of his life.

METHODS

The sample was consisted of 44 subjects, both genders, aged 13 to 53 years, with diagnosis of keratoconus who agreed to participate in this study. The study was carried out at the "Hospital das Clínicas", University of São Paulo Medical School, and at the "Hospital de Olhos Sadalla Amin Ghanem" (Eye Hospital), in Joinville, state of Santa Catarina. A questionnaire used to assess the information received by patients with keratoconus was specially developed for this study. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the collected data was performed through descriptive and demonstrative analyses of speech, based mainly on Social-Historical Theory.

RESULTS

In general, the patients did not consider the information provided by the doctors as being satisfactory. This fact may be related to how the information is transmitted and its contents. This is influenced by several variables, such as professional training, structural characteristics of the provided care, awareness by the doctor of the importance of language and social representation related to the condition of the patient, the socioeconomic and cultural level of the physician and the patient, etc.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that the way the information is transmitted influences the social representation that the individual has of the illness and of himself.