Interpersonal Communication & Behaviour Change: Mapping the determinants of Doctor-Patient Relationship

Abstract

Doctor-Patient-Relationship (DPR) is a fundamental building block of medical treatment. Doctor-patient relationship is influenced by doctor’s attitude and behavior, which shapes patient's perception and response, as well as by the mechanisms already in place that are conducive to their mutual development of trust and empathy. With the objective of understanding patients’ perceptions about the determinants of doctor– patient relationship, the study was carried out with 100 women patients from two different locales of Faridabad. The study explored three key determinants of DPR i.e communication, trust and empathy between the doctor and patient. To understand these, a study of patient’s perceptions was done via a structured interview schedule having merged standardized tools for communication (PDRQ-9), trust (The Wake-Forest-Physician trust scale), and empathy (Jefferson-empathy scale) in DPR. The study found that, majority of the sample believed that communication between patient and doctor helps develop a bond between them, though it is interspersed with challenges. Further, trust and empathy development played a key role in health seeking behaviors of patients. Scores of these tools were statistically correlated for the study and it was found that communication, trust, and empathy were positively correlated to each other, which assert that all these determinants are interdependent. An intrinsic trilogy exists between communication, trust, and empathy that determine a positive doctor- patient relationship and impacts the health-seeking behavior of patients. Hence, improvisation of the Doctor-Patient Relationship requires clearer and transparent communication giving scope for seeking clarity and building on mutual empathy & trust between patient and practitioner.