Beyond technical skills: How communication shapes patient satisfaction in Ghana's healthcare system

Effective healthcare delivery depends not only on clinical expertise but also on the quality of communication and interpersonal relationships between healthcare providers and patients. Despite the recognized importance of these human-centered factors, limited research has explored their impact on patient satisfaction and service quality within the Ghanaian context. This study aims to examine the influence of communication competence and interpersonal relationships on patient satisfaction. This study examines how healthcare providers' communication competence and interpersonal relationships influence their perceived patient satisfaction with service delivery, thereby shifting attention from technical skills to the relational aspects of care.

A sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase involved a survey of 250 healthcare professionals. The qualitative phase comprised in-depth interviews with 20 participants,10 patients, and 10 healthcare staff. Data was analyzed using multiple regression techniques for the quantitative component and thematic analysis for the qualitative component.

Verbal communication emerged as the most used method (70.4 %), followed by a combination of verbal and non-verbal strategies (19.6 %). Regression analysis revealed that both communication competence and interpersonal relationships had a significant impact on service quality and patient satisfaction. While interpersonal relationships displayed a negative coefficient in the regression model (B = -0.098) due to overlap with communication competence, qualitative findings confirmed that positive interpersonal interactions enhanced patient satisfaction. While technical skills contributed a smaller increase of 0.029. The Qualitative findings revealed that patients highly value empathetic communication, timely interactions, and non-verbal cues, such as physical touch and facial expressions, which enhance trust and satisfaction.

The findings highlight the importance of integrating communication and interpersonal skills development into healthcare training and professional practice in Ghana. Strengthening these competencies can enhance patient experiences, improve health outcomes, and contribute to the overall quality of care delivery.