The Effects of Patient-Centered Communication: Exploring the Mediating Role of Trust in Healthcare Providers

This study examined the effects of patient-centered communication (PCC) on two major outcomes: patients' trust in healthcare providers and their evaluation of the quality of healthcare received. Based on conceptual model regarding the impacts of PCC, the former is considered a proximal communication outcome and the latter an intermediate outcome. Both are known to be associated with ultimate health outcomes. Analyses conducted on a dataset of 3273 respondents from the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey in the U.S. showed that PCC was positively associated with both patients' trust in healthcare providers and evaluation of healthcare quality. Moreover, trust was a significant mediator between PCC and patients' perceptions of the quality of healthcare, and stronger mediation of trust was observed as the frequency of hospital visits increased. Some theoretical and practical implications are discussed.