title: Type of Multimorbidity and Patient-Doctor Communication and Trust among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries.
abstract: Background. Effective communication and high trust with doctor are important to reduce the burden of multimorbidity in the rapidly aging population of the US. However, the association of multimorbidity with patient-doctor communication and trust is unknown.Objective. We examined the relationship between multimorbidity and patient-doctor communication and trust among the elderly.Method. We used the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (2012) to analyze the association between multimorbidity and patient-doctor communication and trust with multivariable logistic regressions that controlled for patient's sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and satisfaction with care.Results. Most elderly beneficiaries reported effective communication (87.5-97.5%) and high trust (95.4-99.1%) with their doctors. The elderly with chronic physical and mental conditions were less likely than those with only physical conditions to report effective communication with their doctor (Adjusted Odds Ratio [95% Confidence Interval] = 0.80 [0.68, 0.96]). Multimorbidity did not have a significant association with patient-doctor trust.Conclusions. Elderly beneficiaries had high trust in their doctors, which was not affected by the presence of multimorbidity. Elderly individuals who had a mental condition in addition to physical conditions were more likely to report ineffective communication. Programs to improve patient-doctor communication with patients having cooccurring chronic physical and mental health conditions may be needed.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors: Rahul
authors: 0000-0002-0236-7370
authors: R
authors: Garg
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Health Services Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors: Chan
authors: C
authors: Shen
authors: School of Continuing Education, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors: Nethra
authors: N
authors: Sambamoorthi
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Kelly
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors: Usha
authors: 0000-0001-8311-1360
authors: U
authors: Sambamoorthi