title: A practitioner's guide to interpersonal communication theory: an overview and exploration of selected theories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a brief overview of selected interpersonal theories and models, and to present examples of their use in healthcare communication research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine interpersonal communication theories and their application to healthcare communication are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As healthcare communication interactions often occur at an interpersonal level, familiarity with theories of interpersonal communication may reinforce existing best practices and lead to the development of novel communication approaches with patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article serves as an introductory primer to theories of interpersonal communication that have been or could be applied to healthcare communication research. Understanding key constructs and general formulations of these theories may provide practitioners with additional theoretical frameworks to use when interacting with patients.
authors: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, USA. bylundlc@mskcc.org
authors: Carma L
authors: CL
authors: Bylund
authors: Emily B
authors: EB
authors: Peterson
authors: Kenzie A
authors: KA
authors: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations