Appraisal of communication skills and patients' satisfaction in cross-language encounters in oncology practice.
OBJECTIVE
Communication skills are the most important determinant of patients' satisfaction with care. Data about the adverse effects of cross-language encounters are scarce. This prospective study was designed to examine the association between the communication language and patients' satisfaction in oncology practice.


METHODS
The Art of Medicine questionnaire was used to assess patients' perceptions of clinicians' communication behaviors and patients' global satisfaction. Mean scores of patients cared for by Arabic-speaking oncologists were compared with those of patients who had communications translated from English by interpreters.


RESULTS
255 patients were eligible. Patients' median age was 44 years (95% CI, 42.8-46.2). Communication was in Arabic and interpreted English for 136 (53%) and 119 (47%) patients, respectively. The two groups were comparable for various demographic and clinical variables. On a nine-point scale, mean scores for the eight questionnaire items ranged from 6.24 (95% CI, 5.91-6.56) to 8.24 (95% CI, 8.03-8.45). There was no significant difference in communication skills between Arabic- and English-speaking clinicians for any questionnaire item. Moreover, a multiple regression analysis failed to identify any variable that independently influenced overall patients' satisfaction with the delivered care.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings do not support a disadvantageous effect on interpersonal skills and patients' satisfaction as a result of cross-language communication.
Ibrahim
Ezzeldin M
EM
King Faisal Specialist Hospitals and Research Centers Department of Oncology, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ezzibrahim@kfshrc.edu.sa
Al-Saad
Raghad
R
Wishi
Amr L
AL
Khafaga
Yasser M
YM
El Hussainy
Gamal
G
Nabhan
Arwa
A
Ezzat
Adnan A
AA
Ajarim
Dahish S
DS
Bazarbashi
Shouki
S
Radwi
Amer
A
Al-Amro
Abdullah
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003142:Communication; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires