title: Cultural beliefs about health professionals and perceived empathy influence continuity of cancer screening following a negative encounter.
abstract: Negative health care encounters have implications for preventive medical services and continuity of health care. This study examined cultural and interpersonal psychological factors involved in health care interactions that may ameliorate the detrimental effects of negative encounters. A mixed-methods approach was implemented to examine the relations among positive cultural beliefs about health professionals, perceived professional empathy, interpersonal emotions, and continuity of cancer screening among 237 Latin American (Latino) and non-Latino White (Anglo) American women who reported a negative health care encounter. Multi-group structural equation modeling revealed that for Latino and Anglo women, positive cultural beliefs about health professionals in general were associated with higher perceptions of empathy regarding a professional involved in a negative encounter. In addition, for Latino women, perceptions of higher professional empathy and less negative emotions were associated with better continuity of cancer screening. Interventions designed to improve professionals' empathy skills and diverse patients' perceptions of professionals could improve patient-professional relations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University, 11130 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA.
authors.forename: Jael A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amador
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University, 11130 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA. pflynn@llu.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University, 11130 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA.|Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Betancourt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Cancer screening; Continuity of care; Culture; Empathy; Patient–professional relations