Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Spring;10(1):38-43.

Doctor-patient communication: a review

Jennifer Fong Ha, Nancy Longnecker

Doctor-patient communication: a review

Jennifer Fong Ha et al. Ochsner J. 2010 Spring.

Abstract

Effective doctor-patient communication is a central clinical function in building a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship, which is the heart and art of medicine. This is important in the delivery of high-quality health care. Much patient dissatisfaction and many complaints are due to breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship. However, many doctors tend to overestimate their ability in communication. Over the years, much has been published in the literature on this important topic. We review the literature on doctor-patient communication.

Keywords: Benefits; communication; doctor-patient relationship; review; strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None
Example of influences that a patient takes into account on the doctor's advice.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Hall J. A., Roter D. L., Rand C. S. Communication of affect between patient and physician. J Health Soc Behav. 1981;22((1)):18–30. - PubMed
    1. Duffy F. D., Gordon G. H., Whelan G., et al. Assessing competence in communication and interpersonal skills: the Kalamazoo II report. Acad Med. 2004;79((6)):495–507. - PubMed
    1. van Zanten M., Boulet J. R., McKinley D. W., DeChamplain A., Jobe A. C. Assessing the communication and interpersonal skills of graduates of international medical schools as part of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Exam. Acad Med. 2007;82((10 Suppl)):S65–S68. - PubMed
    1. Brédart A., Bouleuc C., Dolbeault S. Doctor-patient communication and satisfaction with care in oncology. Curr Opin Oncol. 2005;17((14)):351–354. - PubMed
    1. Brinkman W. B., Geraghty S. R., Lanphear B. P., et al. Effect of multisource feedback on resident communication skills and professionalism: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Pediatr Adolesc. 2007;161((1)):44–49. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources