Evaluation of factors influencing physician–patient communication in healthcare service delivery
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Abstract
Physician–patient communication has received less focus in the study of healthcare service delivery in Nigeria. The
majority of communication relies on message delivery rather than interpersonal communication. Even when doctors
have significant knowledge to share with their patients, they frequently lack the interpersonal communication
skills required to do it successfully. This quantitative study employed the analysis of 150 valid responses from
practicing physicians in Lagos state. Descriptive statistics were carried out to understand the factors influencing
physician–patient communication. The results revealed good communication skills among physicians as they
agreed to have social conversations with patients, listen intently to them, and promote question-asking. The
responses from the survey also revealed that factors such as limited consultation time and unfavorable working
environments could negatively impact physician–patient communication. Furthermore, the test hypothesis revealed
a significant correlation between physicians’ age and gender (p < 0.05), whereas physicians’ ethnicity and
religion had non-significant associations. The evaluation of factors influencing physician–patient communication
revealed that several individual and contextual factors contribute to effective communication, including physician
communication skills, patient health literacy, and system-level factors such as time constraints and workload.
Healthcare organizations and policymakers should prioritize efforts to improve physician–patient communication
by addressing the identified factors that influence communication and implementing evidence-based interventions
to enhance communication between physicians and patients.