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Related Experiment Videos

Physicians' opening questions and patients' satisfaction.

Jeffrey D Robinson1, John Heritage

  • 1Rutgers University, Department of Communication, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071, USA. jrob@scils.rutgers.edu

Patient Education and Counseling
|January 25, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Physicians asking open-ended questions at the start of visits improves patient satisfaction with communication. General inquiries enhance patient-physician communication and satisfaction.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Communication
  • Patient-Physician Relationship
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

  • Effective physician communication is crucial for patient satisfaction.
  • The initial moments of a patient visit significantly shape the interaction.
  • Understanding how question format impacts patient perception is key.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the link between how physicians start patient encounters and patient satisfaction with communication.
  • To investigate the association between the format of physicians' opening questions and patients' evaluations of affective-relational communication.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of videotaped primary care visits between physicians and adult patients.
  • Utilized questionnaire data, specifically the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale.

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  • Employed factor analysis to derive key variables from patient-reported satisfaction.

    • Main Results:

    • Open-ended opening questions were positively associated with patient satisfaction with physician listening.
    • The format of the initial question positively correlated with patients' perception of positive affective-relational communication.
    • Specific question formats significantly influenced patient evaluations of the physician's communication style.

    Conclusions:

    • Patients value the opportunity to express their concerns freely at their own pace.
    • Opening patient visits with broad, open-ended questions is recommended over closed-ended inquiries.
    • Physician communication strategies at the visit's outset impact patient-centered care and satisfaction.