title: Patients' perceived cultural sensitivity of health care office staff and its association with patients' health care satisfaction and treatment adherence.
abstract: Research suggests that patients' interactions with their front desk office staff and patient-centered culturally sensitive health care are important factors in diverse patients' overall health care satisfaction. Yet, patient-centered culturally sensitive health care research has focused almost exclusively on provider care. This study tested the hypothesis that patient-perceived cultural sensitivity of front desk office staff has a significant positive association with patient treatment adherence and that this relationship is mediated by patient health care satisfaction. Study participants were a culturally diverse sample of 1,191 patients from health care sites across the U.S. Results of a meditational analysis supported the tested hypothesis. Patient health care satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between patient-perceived cultural sensitivity of front desk office staff and patient treatment adherence. The patient satisfaction and cultural sensitivity variables explained 10% of the variance in patient treatment adherence. Training front desk office staff in patient-centered culturally sensitive health care may improve patients' health care satisfaction and treatment adherence.
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Carolyn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roncoroni
authors.forename: Blake A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult