Concordance between physician communication style and patient attitudes predicts patient satisfaction

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_2F7B24129102
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Concordance between physician communication style and patient attitudes predicts patient satisfaction
Journal
Patient Education and Counseling
Author(s)
Cousin G., Schmid Mast M., Roter D.L., Hall J.A.
ISSN
0738-3991
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/2012
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
87
Number
2
Pages
193-197
Language
english
Abstract
Objective
This study tested whether the impact of the physician's communication style on patient satisfaction differs depending on patients' attitudes toward caring and sharing. We predicted that the impact of physician caring on patient satisfaction depends on patient attitudes toward caring, and that the impact of physician sharing on patient satisfaction depends on patient attitudes toward sharing.
Methods
Participants (N = 167) were asked to imagine that they were consulting for recurrent headaches. They interacted on a computer with a virtual physician that communicated either in a low or high caring way and either in a low or high sharing way (2 × 2 design). Then, participants answered questions about their attitudes toward caring and sharing and about their satisfaction with the physician.
Results
Hypotheses were confirmed. Furthermore, a high caring physician communication style led to higher satisfaction than a low caring one, regardless of participants' attitudes toward caring, while satisfaction with physicians' level of sharing was dependent on the participants' attitude toward sharing.
Conclusion and practice implications
Physicians may adopt a high caring style with confidence that all patients will benefit. Adoption of a sharing style should be more carefully adjusted to patient attitudes.
Keywords
Physician-patient communication, Caring, Sharing, Patient attitudes
Web of science
Create date
19/11/2014 14:18
Last modification date
20/08/2019 13:13
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