Patient-Registered Nurse Communication: Exploring Patients' Expectations and Experience in Primary Care Consultations

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Communication
• Primary Care Nursing
• Patient Experience Research

Background:

• Primary care serves as the initial healthcare contact point for diverse patient needs.
• Registered nurse-led consultations show potential for enhancing access and timely care.
• Understanding patient perspectives on RN communication is vital for person-centered care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient expectations and experiences with registered nurse communication in primary care.
• To identify key aspects of communication that influence patient satisfaction.
• To inform strategies for improving communication quality in primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study design.
• Utilized the QUOTE-COMM questionnaire to assess patient expectations and experiences.
• Collected data before and after registered nurse-led consultations.

Main Results:

• 138 patients participated, reporting high expectations and positive experiences with RN communication.
• Affect-oriented communication received the highest scores.
• No significant differences in expectations/experiences based on age, sex, or education; however, non-native Swedish speakers rated affect-oriented communication less positively. Longer consultations correlated with higher satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Patients generally hold high expectations for RN communication in primary care, and these expectations are largely met.
• Positive patient experiences highlight the effectiveness of RN communication, especially in affect-oriented aspects.
• Further research is needed to refine communication strategies and enhance the quality of primary care.