Exploration of aspects of communication between doctors and patients in anamnesis, better prognosis and adherence to treatment: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Introduction: Much is said about doctor-patient communication and its importance, but when is it really effective? For doctor-patient communication to be effective, it must involve not only a biomedical vision, that is, real medical knowledge, but much more than that, it requires a multidimensional vision, in an individualized and humanized way. From this perspective and taking into account the complexity that this represents, it is particularly important to analyze the elements that intervene in the medical consultation, as well as the impact they will have on the patients' history and adherence to treatment. The doctor-patient relationship represents a fundamental aspect in the process of health care, disease treatment and health recovery, deserving special interest in establishing effects, such as adherence to treatments and therapies, aimed at restoring health. Through this established link, it is possible to achieve a better anamnesis, establishing appropriate and humanized conduct, which favors an effective diagnosis. However, the patient's cooperation is necessary, communicating and expressing what they feel. Effective communication between doctor and patient will lead to positive and satisfactory results for both parties. Material and methods: an exhaustive electronic search of the relevant literature about the factors involved in good doctor-patient communication was carried out through medical databases as well as in reference search engines such as Pubmed, Cochrane, mesh broweser, Google Scholar, scielo, bireme. For this purpose, the following keywords and MeSH terms were used: doctor patient relationship” “effective communication” “medical education”, “communication barriers”, “clinical skills” “empathy”. Randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews and metaanalyses were identified without considering publication status, reported results, last ten years of publication and with language restriction to English, Spanish and Portuguese. Results: 12 systematic review and meta-analysis works that were published between 2015 - 2022 were included, which complied with the established inclusion criteria. Conclusion: effective communication between doctors and patients plays a crucial role in promoting successful treatment and improving patient adherence. Furthermore, implementing communication training programs during medical school can help prepare future doctors to interact more effectively with patients.