Objective: To investigate whether perceived patient-centered communication\nduring oncology consultations relates to patient satisfaction and degree of emotional\ndistress following the medical encounter. Methods: 226 cancer patients\nattending an oncology outpatient clinic completed questionnaires before and\nafter a consultation including the Physician-Patient Relationship Inventory, the\nbrief Profile of Mood States, and the Information satisfaction questionnaire.\nResults: Patients who perceived the communication during the consultations to\nbe highly patient-centered were more likely to be maximally satisfied with information\nprovided by the oncologist. Additionally, adjusting for pre-consultation\ndistress, as well as sociodemographic, clinical, and consultation-related variables,\npatients who perceived the oncologist to communicate in a highly patient-\ncentered manner, experienced lower levels of emotional distress after the\nconsultation. Conclusion: Patient-centered communication may be an important\nquality in oncology as an approach to positively influence patient outcomes,\nincluding emotional distress. However, the findings in the present study\nof an effect of PCC on patient satisfaction and emotional distress are modest,\nand no firm conclusions can thus be drawn. Practice Implications: Oncology\nsettings may benefit from the positive effects of patient-centered care and physicians\nshould acknowledge the potential of their own relational competence in\norder to facilitate patient-centered communication.
Loading....