Enhancing Doctor-Patient Communication: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Effective communication is crucial in healthcare, yet patients often experience confusion and dissatisfaction due to the complexity and inaccessibility of medical information. This research addresses the critical need for clear and continuous communication between patients and healthcare providers, both within and beyond the clinical setting. Recognizing that the doctor-patient relationship is foundational to successful healthcare outcomes, this research works on DocTalk, a proposed digital platform designed to enhance this interaction. DocTalk can offer a secure, integrated communication system that not only facilitates patient understanding and involvement in their own care but also enables seamless coordination among multiple healthcare providers. This becomes particularly vital when patients are dealing with multiple medical professionals, where miscommunication can lead to inadequate or erroneous treatment. By leveraging the advancements in wireless technology and messaging, DocTalk aims to streamline the traditional methods like texting and phone calls, thus the communication process in healthcare can be simpler and securer. This paper analyses DocTalk’s potential to improve healthcare procedures and outcomes, focusing on its role in enhancing patient-doctor communication and its impact on various health outcomes using mobile databases. The research underscores the importance of accessible and effective communication in healthcare.