Impact of Patient Communication Preferences on the Patient Trust in Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iranian Outpatient's Clinics

There are widely emerging concerns that patient confidence in physicians is diminishing as physician-patient communication is threatened globally. This study aimed to assess patient communication preferences and their impact on patient trust in physicians. A cross-sectional study was conducted among outpatient clinics of 2 public and private hospitals in Tabriz, Iran. A total of 704 patients were selected conveniently. Of the 704 patients, 6.39% had low trust, 36.79% moderate trust, 35.37% had a high trust, and 21.45% had blind trust in physicians. Overall patient communication preference score was more in a private clinic rather than a public one (P = .008). Patients of private hospitals and those who were living in rural areas have been shown to have more trust in physicians. Patients' trust in physicians showed a significant association with patient communication preference (B = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.53-0.63, P < .001).

Automated summary

There are concerns about diminishing patient confidence in physicians due to threatened physician-patient communication globally. This study found that patient communication preferences are associated with trust in physicians, and patients in private clinics are more likely to have better communication with their physicians.