Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017)
Date of Award
5-2005
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
BS
Department
Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Nicole Flynn
Abstract
Differences in health and health care still exist between African Americans and Caucasian Americans. Research links this disparity partly to physician-patient communication. Good communication in the doctor-patient relationship can result in greater patient satisfaction and increased adherence to physician recommendations, along with better health outcomes (Ashton et al., 2003). In order to examine factors contributing to communication during the office visit, I compared how participatory decision-making style, self-efficacy, satisfaction, and race relate to each other and how these factors affect patient compliance and self-assessment of health.
My surveys measured these factors and were administered to University of South Alabama patients, physicians, and physician assistant graduates. The patient and physician results showed significant relationships between self-efficacy, and patient and physician satisfaction as well as with patient compliance and self-assessment of health.
Participatory decision-making style was related to race and self-efficacy.
These interactions differed between race concordant and race discordant relationships. Race concordant relationships had higher participatory decision making, self-efficacy, satisfaction, compliance, and self-assessment of health for patients. These trends were almost opposite for physicians in race concordant relationships. These results can help better understand physician-patient communication and hopefully improve health outcomes for all patients.
Recommended Citation
Gupta, Nidhi, "Factors Involved in Physician-Patient Communication" (2005). Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017). 97.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_theses-boundprint/97