Physician-patient communication from the perspective of library and information science

The physician-patient communication process has received little attention from library and information science (LIS) professionals. A limited review of other literature on this topic was undertaken to gain some understanding of the information exchange from an LIS perspective. The authors were interested in four issues, including how information is defined; how information-seeking behavior is portrayed; what barriers to information exist in the exchange process; and what role, if any, information plays in health outcomes. Studies have been conducted by researchers in various disciplines who have defined communication as a giving and seeking activity between the physician and the patient. Barriers to good communication, erected by either party or by both, prevent the participants from experiencing a satisfactory encounter. Because information can play a role in health outcomes, various strategies have been tried to improve the communication process. These studies provide a better understanding of the physician-patient encounter and suggest new areas of patient-centered research for LIS professionals.