Survey on patient-provider communication in healthcare systems: an operational perspective

Abstract

Effective patient-provider communication is essential for providing functional patient-centered care. Research in the Medical and Operations Management (OM) literature has proposed different strategies for providers to effectively communicate and deliver relevant information to patients. In this review paper, we reconcile these two bodies of literature and provide a cross-discipline survey on patient-provider communication. We first propose a patient-provider communication framework to deconstruct the communication strategy into content (what to communicate), timing (when to communicate), and format (how to communicate). We then discuss the impact of effective patient-provider communication on both patients and providers from operational and medical standpoints. Finally, we provide implications for theory and practice by proposing potential research questions for researchers and developing best practices for healthcare practitioners.