Informing the patient is arguably the physician's most important communication duty. Recognising this, researchers have long been interested in the question of why some patients receive more information from doctors than others. The paper argues that two sets of factors may influence the amount of information doctors provide to patients during medical consultations: patients' personal characteristics (age, gender, education and anxiety) and patients' communication styles (asking questions , giving opinions and expressing concern). Analysis of audiovisual recordings of 41 doctor-patient consultations in a family counselling centre revealed several significant findings: (a) information on diagnosis and health issues was primarily a function of patient anxiety, education and questioning, (b) information on treatment was primarily a function of patient questioning and expression of concern, and (c) patient assertiveness and expression was strongly influenced by the doctors' use of ''partnership-building'' statements that prompted patient questions, concerns and opinions. The data suggest that in trying to explain the factors influencing doctors' informativeness, researchers need to consider the characteristics of patients' communication styles, as well as doctors' perceptions of specific patient groups. The data suggest that when trying to explain the factors influencing doctors' informativeness, researchers need to take into account the characteristics of patients' communication styles, as well as doctors' perceptions of specific patient groups.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1046%2Fj.1525-1497.2003.31968.x