Patient-physician communication

It is shown that patients' expectations of medical encounters are not always fulfilled and that patients desire increased participation and information sharing, and the literature reviewed shows that physicians can be trained to provide patient-centered care and increase patient participation and satisfaction with care.

Abstract

The literature reviewed shows that patients' expectations of medical encounters are not always fulfilled and that patients desire increased participation and information sharing. Establishing patient-centered care is a challenging goal, but fortunately, recent studies show that physicians can be trained, irrespective of the years in practice, to provide patient-centered care and increase patient participation and satisfaction with care.