Healthcare Provider-Patient Communication: A Satisfaction Study in the Outpatient Clinic at Hospital Kuala Lumpur

Overview

Journal Malays J Med Sci

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2015 Dec 31

PMID 26715897

Citations 7

Authors

Nor Azmaniza Azizam

Khadija Shamsuddin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: There is growing interest in research on patient satisfaction with healthcare provider (HCP) communication as a measure of healthcare quality and HCPs' communication competency. This study aimed to determine the levels of patient satisfaction with healthcare provider-patient communication (HCP-PC) and its associated factors at the outpatient clinic at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample in July 2012 using self-administered questionnaires for the data collection. Both overall and domain-specific satisfaction were measured, with the three domains being exchanging information (EI), socio-emotional behaviour (SB), and communication style (CS).

Results: The findings show that 92.8% of the 283 respondents were satisfied with overall HCP-PC, 89.5% with EI, 91.3% with SB, and 72.2% with CS. Satisfaction was statistically higher among Malays for CS and higher among those with low education and poor health for EI, SB and CS. EI and overall communication satisfaction were also higher among patients who reported short wait times, and patients who were in gender concordance with their HCPs showed higher SB satisfaction.

Conclusion: Basic and continuous communication skills training and patient activation programs should be established to increase patient satisfaction. Health information technology use should be actively promoted to allow for structured and standardised information exchange between HCPs and patients.

Citing Articles

Exploring the impact of compassion and leadership on patient safety and quality in healthcare systems: a narrative review.

Ahmed Z, Ellahham S, Soomro M, Shams S, Latif K BMJ Open Qual. 2024; 13(Suppl 2).

PMID: 38719520 PMC: 11086414. DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002651.

Patients' satisfaction with emergency care services in a University Teaching Hospital in South-West, Nigeria.

Deji-Dada O, Dada S, Ogunlusi J, Solomon O Afr J Emerg Med. 2021; 11(2):321-324.

PMID: 33996423 PMC: 8100503. DOI: 10.1016/j.afjem.2021.03.015.

Relationship Between Patient Satisfaction and Willingness to Comply With Physicians' Recommendation in Referral Surgical Outpatient Clinic in Nigeria.

Okonta K, Ogaji D J Patient Exp. 2021; 7(6):1556-1562.

PMID: 33457614 PMC: 7786649. DOI: 10.1177/2374373520942402.

Assessing quality of life using WHOQOL-BREF: A cross-sectional insight among patients on warfarin in Malaysia.

Iqbal M, Kassab Y, Al-Saikhan F, Almalki Z, Haseeb A, Iqbal M Saudi Pharm J. 2020; 28(8):936-942.

PMID: 32792838 PMC: 7414056. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.06.014.

Combining Direct and Indirect Measurements to Assess Patients' Satisfaction with the Quality of Public Health Services in Romania: Uncovering Structural Mechanisms and Their Implications.

Druica E, Mihaila V, Burcea M, Cepoi V Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 17(1).

PMID: 31878246 PMC: 6981560. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010152.

References

Street Jr R, Gordon H, Ward M, Krupat E, Kravitz R . Patient participation in medical consultations: why some patients are more involved than others. Med Care. 2005; 43(10):960-9. DOI: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000178172.40344.70. View

Xiao H, Barber J . The effect of perceived health status on patient satisfaction. Value Health. 2008; 11(4):719-25. DOI: 10.1111/j.1524-4733.2007.00294.x. View

Ware Jr J, Stewart A . The measurement and meaning of patient satisfaction. Health Med Care Serv Rev. 1977; 1(1):1, 3-15. View

Levinson W, Gorawara-Bhat R, Lamb J . A study of patient clues and physician responses in primary care and surgical settings. JAMA. 2000; 284(8):1021-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.284.8.1021. View

Jensen J, King A, Guntzviller L, Davis L . Patient-provider communication and low-income adults: age, race, literacy, and optimism predict communication satisfaction. Patient Educ Couns. 2009; 79(1):30-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2009.09.041. View

Epstein R, Peters E . Beyond information: exploring patients' preferences. JAMA. 2009; 302(2):195-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2009.984. View

Schmittdiel J, Grumbach K, Selby J, Quesenberry Jr C . Effect of physician and patient gender concordance on patient satisfaction and preventive care practices. J Gen Intern Med. 2000; 15(11):761-9. PMC: 1495609. DOI: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2000.91156.x. View

Christen R, Alder J, Bitzer J . Gender differences in physicians' communicative skills and their influence on patient satisfaction in gynaecological outpatient consultations. Soc Sci Med. 2008; 66(7):1474-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.12.011. View

Ashton C, Haidet P, Paterniti D, Collins T, Gordon H, OMalley K . Racial and ethnic disparities in the use of health services: bias, preferences, or poor communication?. J Gen Intern Med. 2003; 18(2):146-52. PMC: 1494820. DOI: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20532.x. View

10.

Lukman H, Beevi Z, Yeap R . Training future doctors to be patient-centred: efficacy of a communication skills training (CST) programme in a Malaysian medical institution. Med J Malaysia. 2009; 64(1):51-5. View

11.

Price S, Mercer S, MacPherson H . Practitioner empathy, patient enablement and health outcomes: a prospective study of acupuncture patients. Patient Educ Couns. 2006; 63(1-2):239-45. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2005.11.006. View

12.

Davis B, Kiesel C, McFarland J, Collard A, Coston K, Keeton A . Evaluating instruments for quality: testing convergent validity of the consumer emergency care satisfaction scale. J Nurs Care Qual. 2005; 20(4):364-8. DOI: 10.1097/00001786-200510000-00013. View

13.

Barrier P, Li J, Jensen N . Two words to improve physician-patient communication: what else?. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003; 78(2):211-4. DOI: 10.4065/78.2.211. View

14.

HOWIE J, Heaney D, Maxwell M, Walker J, Freeman G, Rai H . Quality at general practice consultations: cross sectional survey. BMJ. 1999; 319(7212):738-43. PMC: 28226. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.319.7212.738. View

15.

Eide H, Graugaard P, Holgersen K, Finset A . Physician communication in different phases of a consultation at an oncology outpatient clinic related to patient satisfaction. Patient Educ Couns. 2003; 51(3):259-66. DOI: 10.1016/s0738-3991(02)00225-2. View

16.

Katz M, Jacobson T, Veledar E, Kripalani S . Patient literacy and question-asking behavior during the medical encounter: a mixed-methods analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2007; 22(6):782-6. PMC: 2583801. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-007-0184-6. View

17.

Hall J, Epstein A, DeCiantis M, McNeil B . Physicians' liking for their patients: more evidence for the role of affect in medical care. Health Psychol. 1993; 12(2):140-6. DOI: 10.1037//0278-6133.12.2.140. View

18.

Thompson D, Yarnold P, Williams D, Adams S . Effects of actual waiting time, perceived waiting time, information delivery, and expressive quality on patient satisfaction in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 1996; 28(6):657-65. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(96)70090-2. View

19.

Kenny D, Veldhuijzen W, van der Weijden T, Leblanc A, Lockyer J, Legare F . Interpersonal perception in the context of doctor-patient relationships: a dyadic analysis of doctor-patient communication. Soc Sci Med. 2009; 70(5):763-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.10.065. View

20.

Ishikawa H, Takayama T, Yamazaki Y, Seki Y, Katsumata N . Physician-patient communication and patient satisfaction in Japanese cancer consultations. Soc Sci Med. 2002; 55(2):301-11. DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00173-3. View