Patient-centered communication: do patients really prefer it?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate patient preferences for a patient-centered or a biomedical communication style.


METHODS
Randomized study.


METHODS
Urgent care and ambulatory medicine clinics in an academic medical center.


METHODS
We recruited 250 English-speaking adult patients, excluding patients whose medical illnesses prevented evaluation of the study intervention.


METHODS
Participants watched one of three videotaped scenarios of simulated patient-physician discussions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Each participant watched two versions of the scenario (biomedical vs. patient-centered communication style) and completed written and oral questionnaires to assess outcome measurements.


RESULTS
Main outcome measures were 1) preferences for a patient-centered versus a biomedical communication style; and 2) predictors of communication style preference. Participants who preferred the patient-centered style (69%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 63 to 75) tended to be younger (82% [51/62] for age < 30; 68% [100/148] for ages 30-59; 55% [21/38] for age > 59; P < .03), more educated (76% [54/71] for postcollege education; 73% [94/128] for some college; 49% [23/47] for high school only; P= .003), use CAM (75% [140/188] vs. 55% [33/60] for nonusers; P= .006), and have a patient-centered physician (88% [74/84] vs. 30% [16/54] for those with a biomedical physician; P < .0001). On multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with preferring the patient-centered style included younger age, use of herbal CAM, having a patient-centered physician, and rating a "doctor's interest in you as a person" as "very important."


CONCLUSIONS
Given that a significant proportion of patients prefer a biomedical communication style, practicing physicians and medical educators should strive for flexible approaches to physician-patient communication.
Swenson
Sara L
SL
Program in Medical Ethics, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California San Francisco, CA 94143-0320, USA. swenson@medicine.ucsf.edu
Buell
Stephanie
S
Zettler
Patti
P
White
Martha
M
Ruston
Delaney C
DC
Lo
Bernard
B
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D026706:Paternalism; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014741:Video Recording