Patient Characteristics That Influence Physician Behavior
Abstract
We examined whether four patient characteristics (age, ethnicity, sex and appearance) influenced five physician behaviors with the patient (interviewing, nonverbal attention, courtesy, information giving and empathy). Ten physician-patient interactions were observed through a one-way mirror for each of 15 physicians. Physicians were rated higher on information giving (p = 0.002) and empathic skills (p = 0.02) when they were with female patients; on interviewing (p = 0.02) and empathy (p = 0.0007) with Anglo-American compared with Spanish-American patients; on interviewing (p = 0.01), nonverbal attention (p = 0.001) and courtesy (p = 0.02) when with the best groomed patients; and on courtesy (p = 0.03) with elderly patients. In addition, there were fewer physician-initiated interruptions with female patients (p = 0.03) and with well-groomed patients (p = 0.02). Each of the four patient characteristics studied acted independently in influencing physician behavior. The recognition that patient characteristics influence physician behavior should stimulate physicians to examine their reactions in order to insure that all types of patients receive thorough, courteous and empathic care.
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Providers interact less effectively with minority than with white patients.
“(3) providers interact less effectively with minority than with white patients.32–37”
From Reducing Racial Bias Among Health Care Providers: Lessons from Social-Cognitive Psychology (2007) · cites this paper as [34]
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- Authors
- Hooper, E. M., Comstock, L. M., Goodwin, J. M., & Goodwin, J. S.
- Affiliations
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Venue
- Medical Care
- Published
- 1982-06
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 630-638
- ISSN
- 0025-7079 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2039788977
- Cited by
- 216
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 12.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare
- Keywords
- physician-patient interaction, patient characteristics, physician behavior, empathy, interviewing, courtesy, information giving, patient age, ethnicity, sex differences, patient appearance, grooming, elderly patients
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Attitude of Health Personnel, Behavior, Ethnicity, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Outpatient Clinics, Hospital, Physician-Patient Relations, Sex Factors, Social Perception
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