COMMEDICATION The Relationship Between Doctors Communication Skills and Patient Perception on Health and the Doctor-Patient Communication Process
ABSTRACT
With the increasing need for patient-centred health care, this study sought to study how doctors’ communication skills relate to patients’ perceptions and attitudes toward their illnesses and the doctor-patient communication process. Osgood’s Learning Theory and the Social Judgement Theory were used to create a framework where the physical stimulus, the doctors’ communication skills, lead to an internal response, which is feelings regarding well-being and ability to negotiate. These also lead to an internal stimulus, which is willingness to comply with treatment. Research was done through criterion-sampling survey and interviews. Doctors’ communication skills were identified and categorised into Interpersonal Skills, Active Listening, Information Gathering, Information Giving/Patient Education, and Skills for Motivating Patients, in order to gain better perspective on effective doctor-patient communication (Montgomery, 1993; WHO, 1993). There are numerous international studies on doctor-patient communication, however, there are few local studies on the topic. Data obtained in the quantitative data was inconclusive of a relationship, while the qualitative data leaned heavily towards a link between the doctors’ skills and patient perception, as well as between perceived ability to negotiate with patient perception, which indicates that the relationship between doctors’ communication skills and patient perception is highly subjective to individuals.
Po, P.H.T., & Salvan, M.F.L.L. (2011). [Com]medication: The relationship between doctors’ communication skills and patient perception of health and wellness, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
Keywords: Health Communication, Patient Perception
Subject Index : Physician and Patient