SYNOPSIS- GROUP 1, SECTION A

Effective communication is a key component of patient safety and compliance, accurate

diagnosis and health promotion1. Health communication as a field was first recognized in
1975 when the Health Communication Division of the International Communication
Association was founded. It is defined as the study and use of methods to inform and
influence individual and community decisions that improve health2. One key aspect of health
communication at an individual level is the day to day doctor-patient interactions and the
problems associated with it.
Efficient doctor-patient communication can help in regulating patients' emotions, facilitate
better comprehension of medical information, and allow for better identification of patients'
needs, perceptions, and expectations. Studies have shown that patients reporting good
communication with their doctor are more likely to be satisfied with their care as they share
pertinent information for accurate diagnosis of their problems, follow advice, and adhere to
the prescribed treatment3. However, the doctor-patient interaction is a complex process, and
serious miscommunication is a potential pitfall, especially in terms of patients' understanding
of their prognosis, purpose of care, expectations, and involvement in treatment4. One of the
main dimensions of doctor-patient interaction is the cross-cultural communication barriers
associated with it especially when the patient belongs to a linguistic or ethnic minority. For
example, previous studies have shown that communication between minority patients and
physicians is characterized by doctors' biased expectations, patients' perceptions of
discrimination, linguistic asymmetry, and self-fulfilling prophecy spirals5. Patients belonging
to the lower socio-economic strata such as low skilled migrant laborers are more vulnerable
to such communication barriers.
This project plans to perform a comparative study of doctor-patient interactions and the
associated barriers between the eastern and western world through literature review and
secondary research. The paper will bring in dialogue the ideologies of the stalwarts of the
domain and discuss the key issues plaguing it.
References
1. Johnson RL, Roter D, Powe NR, Cooper LA. Patient race/ethnicity and quality of
patient-physician communication during medical visits. Am J Public Health.
2004;94(12):2084-90.
2. Freimuth VS, Quinn SC. The contributions of health communication to eliminating
health disparities. Am J Public Health. 2004;94(12):2053-5.
3. Ha JF, Longnecker N. Doctor-patient communication: a review. Ochsner J.
2010;10(1):38-43.
4. Ahmed, S., Lee, S., Shommu, N., Rumana, N., & Turin, T. (2017). Experiences of
communication barriers between physicians and immigrant patients: A systematic
review and thematic synthesis. Patient Experience Journal, 4(1), 122-140
5. Perloff, R. M., Bonder, B., Ray, G. B., Ray, E. B., & Siminoff, L. A. (2006). Doctor-Patient
Communication, Cultural Competence, and Minority Health: Theoretical and Empirical
Perspectives. American Behavioral Scientist, 49(6), 835–852