The impact of patient and physician computer mediated communication skill training on reported communication and patient satisfaction

• Published in: Patient education and counseling 2012-09, Vol.88 (3), p.406-413
• Main Authors: Roter, Debra L, Wexler, Randy, Naragon, Phyllis, Forrest, Brian, Dees, Jason, Almodovar, Astrid, Wood, Julie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Clinical Competence; Communication; Communication skills intervention; Computer-Assisted Instruction - methods; Computer-mediated communication training; Computerized communication; Doctor-Patient communication; Doctors; Education, Medical, Continuing - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Information sharing; Internal Medicine; Interventions; Male; Middle Aged; Nursing; Patient activation; Patient centredness; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Patient Satisfaction; Patient-Centered Care; Physician-Patient Relations; Program Evaluation; Self Report; Selfreport; Skills training; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2012.06.020

Abstract Objective The objective was to evaluate parallel patient and physician computer-mediated communication skill training on participants’ report of skill use and patient satisfaction. Methods Separate patient and clinician web-tools comprised of over 500, 10-s video clips demonstrating patient-centered skills in various ways. Four clinician members of the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network participated by enrolling 194 patients into a randomized patient trial and 29 physicians into a non-randomized clinician trial of respective interventions. All participants completed baseline and follow-up self-report measures of visit communication and satisfaction. Results Intervention patients reported using more skills than controls in five of six skill areas, including identification of problems/concerns, information exchange, treatment adherence, shared decision-making and interpersonal rapport (all p < .05); post intervention, physicians reported using more skills in the same 5 areas (all p < .01). Intervention group patients reported higher levels of satisfaction than controls in five of six domains (all p < .05). Conclusion Communication skill training delivered in a computer mediated format had a positive and parallel impact on both patient and clinician reported use of patient-centered communication and in patient satisfaction. Practice Implications Computer-mediated interventions are cost and time effective thereby increasing patient and clinician willingness to undertake training.