Inter-Rater Reliability of the Measure of Patient-Centered Communication in Health Promotion Clinic Visits with Youth

Patient-centered communication during clinic visits is critical for a patient and provider to establish a relationship that explores the patient's needs and desires and tailors health care accordingly. However, there are currently limitations to measuring patient-centered communication within the clinic visit. This study will examine the inter-rater reliability of a modified version of the Measure of Patient-Centered Communication (MPCC) for use with youth in health promotion clinic visits. Transcripts from actual patient-provider interactions (n=11) with 17-23 year old participants and providers (n=6; NPs and MDs) were analyzed for inter-rater reliability of a modified version of the MPCC. The MPCC demonstrated satisfactory inter-rater reliability among the five components of patient-centered communication (kappa=0.78) and good mean inter-rater reliability among the five provider responses (percent agreement=87.5%). Measuring patient-centered communication presents challenges. This study demonstrated that the MPCC could be a potential tool in this endeavor; however, adjustments are needed for it to be a reliable measure of patient-centered communication during clinic visits with youth. In order to provide patient-centered communication and care we must be able to accurately measure the communication and techniques being implemented in all patient visits.