Abstract

This chapter reviews research on the relationship between provider-patient communication and outcomes of healthcare. Various aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication processes are considered, including expression of affect, shared decision-making, patient involvement in care, giving of information, and provision of empathy. These aspects of communication, and others, have been associated with various outcomes, including clinical outcomes, patient adherence, patient satisfaction, and malpractice, and in relationship to patient characteristics, such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and health conditions, such as obesity and substance use. We review the research regarding these relationships and discuss the pathways linking communication to outcomes, and we provide suggestions for future research in this field.