Qualities men value when communicating with general practitioners: implications for primary care settings

To determine the core qualities that men value when communicating with general practitioners in primary care settings.

In a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in non-clinical environments, 36 white Australian men drawn from the Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study, stratified by age and marital status, discussed their help-seeking behaviour and health service use. Participants were from the North West Adelaide region. Interviews were conducted between January and November 2005.

The core qualities men value when communicating with GPs in primary care settings include the adoption of a "frank approach", demonstrable competence, thoughtful use of humour, empathy, and prompt resolution of health issues.

The core qualities men value when communicating with GPs are concordant with most key dimensions of a patient-centred approach, but not necessarily all. Adopting these qualities has the potential to enhance communication with and care of men in primary care settings.