Non-verbal communication between primary care physicians and older patients: how does race matter?
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Non-verbal communication is an important aspect of the diagnostic and
therapeutic process, especially with older patients. It is unknown how non-verbal
communication varies with physician and patient race. OBJECTIVE: To examine the joint
influence of physician race and patient race on non-verbal communication displayed
by primary care physicians during medical interviews with patients 65 years or older.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Video-recordings of visits of 209 patients 65 years
old or older to 30 primary care physicians at three clinics located in the Midwest
and Southwest. MAIN MEASURES: Duration of physicians' open body position, eye contact,
smile, and non-task touch, coded using an adaption of the Nonverbal Communication
in Doctor-Elderly Patient Transactions form. KEY RESULTS: African American physicians
with African American patients used more open body position, smile, and touch, compared
to the average across other dyads (adjusted mean difference for open body position = 16.55,
p < 0.001; smile = 2.35, p = 0.048; touch = 1.33, p < 0.001). African American physicians
with white patients spent less time in open body position compared to the average
across other dyads, but they also used more smile and eye gaze (adjusted mean difference
for open body position = 27.25, p < 0.001; smile = 3.16, p = 0.005; eye gaze = 17.05,
p < 0.001). There were no differences between white physicians' behavior toward African
American vs. white patients. CONCLUSION: Race plays a role in physicians' non-verbal
communication with older patients. Its influence is best understood when physician
race and patient race are considered jointly.
Type
Journal articleSubject
African AmericansAged
Aged, 80 and over
Continental Population Groups
Female
Humans
Male
Nonverbal Communication
Patient Satisfaction
Physician-Patient Relations
Physicians
Physicians, Primary Care
Videotape Recording
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/14892Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1007/s11606-011-1934-zPublication Info
Stepanikova, Irena; Zhang, Qian; Wieland, Darryl; Eleazer, G Paul; & Stewart, Thomas (2012). Non-verbal communication between primary care physicians and older patients: how does
race matter?. J Gen Intern Med, 27(5). pp. 576-581. 10.1007/s11606-011-1934-z. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/14892.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Darryl Wieland
Research Scientist, Senior

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