Patients preferences for communication during video consultations.

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Digital Health
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Video consultations are increasingly common in healthcare.
• Understanding patient preferences for physician communication in virtual settings is crucial for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient preferences for specific physician communication behaviors during simulated video consultations.
• To identify optimal communication strategies for enhancing patient-physician interactions in telemedicine.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study was conducted in an outpatient setting.
• 417 patients viewed videos of simulated physician communication behaviors and indicated preferences.
• Behaviors assessed included camera framing, gaze orientation, social talk, privacy reminders, pauses, and nonverbal expressiveness.

Main Results:

• Patients preferred face and bust framing (50.7%) over face alone.
• Direct eye gaze towards the camera (42.9%) was favored over shifting gaze.
• Social talk (43.1%), privacy reminders (80.8%), short pauses (63.9%), and expressive nonverbal behavior (46.7%) were highly valued.

Conclusions:

• Patient preferences largely align with expert recommendations for video communication, with exceptions in gaze shifting and pause duration.
• Physician training should incorporate video-specific communication best practices to optimize telemedicine encounters.