Revisiting Effective Communication Between Patients and Physicians: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study Comparing Text-Based Electronic Versus Face-to-Face Communication.

Tala Mirzaei,Nicole Kashian

doi:10.2196/16965

Abstract

BackgroundResearch has shown that text-based communication via telemedicine will continue to be a mode of communication that patients and physicians use in the future. However, very few studies have examined patients’ perspectives regarding the increased use of text-based communication versus face-to-face (FtF) communication.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand and compare the potential differences in patients’ perceptions of communication effectiveness with their physicians through different modes of communication.MethodsWe conducted a web-based survey of 345 patients to explore the impact of different channels on effective communication and perceived health behavior and outcomes. We tested the impact of patients’ perceived communication and media effectiveness on their self-efficacy, communication satisfaction, and perceived health outcomes, separately for text-based information technology (IT)–mediated communication and FtF communication. Furthermore, we conducted a group comparison to identify significant differences across these 2 groups.ResultsWe found no significant differences between patients’ perceptions of effective communication using either IT-mediated communication or FtF communication with their physicians. However, we found significant differences in patients’ perception of media effectiveness: patients perceived FtF communication to be a more favorable medium (P=.02). Interestingly, we found no significant difference in terms of benefits (P=.09) and success (P=.08) of IT-mediated communication versus FtF communication.ConclusionsThe results of this study imply that patients can achieve the same level of communication effectiveness with their physicians using IT-mediated communication as they would in comparable FtF interactions, but patients view FtF communication to be a more favorable medium than IT-mediated communication.

Highlights

Effective Communication Between Patients and Physicians Effective communication with physicians is especially important for all patients and for patients with chronic diseases, as these conditions require long-term continuous care [1]
We found no significant difference between FtF communication and information technology (IT)-mediated communication groups in items that form perceived communication effectiveness (PCE)
The primary results revealed no significant differences between patients’ perceptions of effective communication using either IT-mediated communication or FtF communication, which is in line with the cues-filtered-in perspective

Summary

Introduction

Effective Communication Between Patients and Physicians Effective communication with physicians is especially important for all patients and for patients with chronic diseases, as these conditions require long-term continuous care [1]. Research about patients’ perceptions of text-based IT-mediated communication is limited It is unclear if patients perceive the quality of care that is delivered FtF differently from text-based communication. We examine if patients’ perceptions of communication effectiveness differ for FtF communication versus text-based IT-mediated communication. Several studies have reported on telemedicine and telehealth in terms of its acceptance [19,20], adoption [21,22,23], compliance [24], quality [25], and trust [26] It is unclear how the quality of patient-physician interactions differs between traditional FtF interactions and text-based interactions. It is unclear if the same results would hold when comparing text-based channels and FtF communication among patients with chronic diseases who require regular communication with their providers and use text-based communication with their providers [3]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion