title: How do national cultures influence lay people's preferences toward doctors' style of communication? A comparison of 35 focus groups from an European cross national research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The evidence that inspires and fosters communication skills, teaching programmes and clinical recommendations are often based on national studies which assume, implicitly, that patients' preferences towards doctors' communication style are not significantly affected by their cultural background. The cross-cultural validity of national results has been recognized as a potential limitation on how generally applicable they are in a wider context. Using 35 country-specific focus group discussions from four European countries, the aim of the present study is to test whether or not national cultures influence lay people's preferences towards doctors' style of communication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lay people preferences on doctor's communication style have been collected in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy. Each centre organized between eight and nine focus groups, where participants (n = 259) were asked to comment on a video of a simulated medical interview. The discussions were audiotaped, transcribed and coded using a common framework (Guliver Coding System) that allowed for the identification of different themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency distribution of the topics discussed highlights lay people's generally positive views towards most part of doctors interventions. The regression model applied to the Guliver categories highlighted slight national differences and the existence of a cross-cultural appreciation, in particular, of five types of intervention: Doctors attitudes (both Task-Oriented and Affective/Emotional), Summarizing, Structuring and Providing solution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lay panels valued doctors' communication style in a similar manner in the countries selected. This highlights the existence of a common background, which in the process of internationalization of heath care, might foster the implementation of cross-national teaching programmes and clinical guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, P.le LA Scuro 10-, 37100, Verona, Italy. michela.rimondini@univr.it.|Policlinico G.B.Rossi, UO Psicosomatica e Psicologia Clinica, P.le LA Scuro 10-, 37100, Verona, Italy. michela.rimondini@univr.it.|Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neurological,Biomedical and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, 37100, Italy. michela.rimondini@univr.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rimondini
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, P.le LA Scuro 10-, 37100, Verona, Italy. mariangela.mazzi@univr.it.|Policlinico G.B.Rossi, UO Psicosomatica e Psicologia Clinica, P.le LA Scuro 10-, 37100, Verona, Italy. mariangela.mazzi@univr.it.|Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neurological,Biomedical and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, 37100, Italy. mariangela.mazzi@univr.it.
authors.forename: Maria Angela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 6K3, 9000, Gent, Belgium. Myriam.Deveugele@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deveugele
authors.affiliation: NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Utrecht University, Otterstraat 118-124, 3513, CR, Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Bensing@nivel.nl.|Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Bensing@nivel.nl.
authors.forename: Jozien M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bensing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D003142:Communication; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians; D012106:Research; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult