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The Relationship between Patient Socioeconomic Status and Patient Satisfaction: Does Patient-Physician Communication Matter?

Labuda Schrop, Susan M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1320002395

Abstract Details

2011, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology.
The therapeutic efficacy of the patient-physician interaction plays a central role in medicine. Many factors impact the patient-physician interaction, and ultimately affect health outcomes. Health follows a social gradient. Being poor matters to health and health care access in the U.S. with socioeconomic status being a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality. Health disparities include differences in health status; access to, utilization, and quality of care; and health care delivery. Unequal treatment of patients on the basis of their personal or group characteristics warrants attention, unequal treatment not justified by the patient’s underlying health condition or treatment preference. This dissertation examined the relationship between patient socioeconomic status and patient satisfaction, and determined if patient-physician communication mediated this relationship. Three hypotheses were tested though secondary analyses of data from the Direct Observation of Primary Care study, a landmark multi-method study representing the most comprehensive glimpse into the content and context of family medicine outpatient visits to date. The data supported hypothesis 1. Patients’ insurance status related significantly to physician-patient communication. Patients insured by Medicaid had visits that were significantly more physician-centered. In addition, male patients, patients with better physical health, and patients whose visits were more complex had visits that were more patient-centered. Conversely, as patients’ mental health improved, the visits became more physician-centered. Results were mixed for hypothesis 2. Satisfaction with the care-delivery site was unrelated to communication but was significantly related to patient age and overall health with older and healthier patients rating the site significantly higher. Communication related significantly to satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction. Satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction increased significantly as the visit became more patient-centered. In addition, older patients, those with better overall health and shorter visits rated satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction significantly higher. The data did not support hypothesis 3. There was no relationship between socioeconomic status and patient satisfaction. The next steps need to be creating and validating easy-to-administer patient satisfaction measures and the determining the optimal balance between patient-centered and physician-centered communication measured by validated instruments.
Timothy Gallagher, PhD (Committee Chair)
Brian F. Pendleton, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Donna Martsolf, RN, PhD, CNS (Committee Member)
Christian Ritter, PhD (Committee Member)
Mark Savickas, PhD, PCC (Committee Member)
Clare Stacey, PhD (Committee Member)
245 p.
Sociology
patient-physician communication; medical communication; patient satisfaction; patient-centered communication; physician-centered communication

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Labuda Schrop, S. M. (2011). The Relationship between Patient Socioeconomic Status and Patient Satisfaction: Does Patient-Physician Communication Matter? [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1320002395

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Labuda Schrop, Susan. The Relationship between Patient Socioeconomic Status and Patient Satisfaction: Does Patient-Physician Communication Matter? 2011. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1320002395.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Labuda Schrop, Susan. "The Relationship between Patient Socioeconomic Status and Patient Satisfaction: Does Patient-Physician Communication Matter?" Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1320002395

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.