The meaning of rapport for patients, families, and healthcare professionals: A scoping review

Abstract

Objective: Rapport is considered fundamental to clinical relationships but is a concept which is rarely defined. This review explores how rapport is defined, characterised, and operationalised in healthcare.

Methods: A scoping review methodology was used. Data were synthesised using thematic analysis. The review process adhered to the Preferred Reporting System for Meta-Analysis for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

Results: Medline, CINAHL, and psychINFO were searched with thirty-four studies meeting inclusion criteria. Results were presented in two themes: The meanings of rapport and the implications for building rapport.

Conclusions: This scoping review found rapport has no commonly shared definition or conceptualisation in the reviewed research. At the same time rapport is operationalised and characterised. Factors that facilitate, and hinder rapport-building were identified. Having a consistently used definition and conceptualisation will benefit the research that is needed into patient and family experiences and outcomes of rapport.

Practice implications: It is crucial for health professionals to incorporate simple kind gestures into practice to facilitate rapport. Equally it is necessary for health professionals to review their practice for dismissive, avoiding behaviours that impede rapport-building and consider how they spend their time with patients.

Keywords: Families; Health professional; Nurse; Patient; Patient-centred communication, Rapport; Physician; Scoping review.