Reducing Communication Apprehension for New Patients Through Information Found Within Physicians' Biographies

This study investigated whether state communication apprehension (CA) with physicians, for high CA patients, can be reduced before consultations by manipulating information found within physicians' online biographies. Participants were presented with three experimentally manipulated physician biographies and asked to choose which physician they would want to visit to get a hypothetical ailment checked out. Guided by uncertainty reduction theory, results support a path model where increases in perceived similarities between a patient and doctor led to greater uncertainty reduction, greater liking, and subsequent reductions in CA with the physician for high CA participants. In addition, the majority of participants decided to visit the physician with whom they perceived the greatest similarity. The importance of reducing CA in the medical context is discussed, as well as theoretical implications for communication researchers. The results also provide practical guidance for health care systems to help improve their current physician biographical offerings available to prospective patients.