Communication Skills Training for Physicians Improves Health Literacy and Medical Outcomes among Patients with Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Improving the training of physicians about communication skills and patient health literacy (HL) is a major priority that remains an open question. We aimed to examine the effectiveness of communication skills training for physicians on the hypertension outcomes and the health literacy skills, self-efficacy and medication adherence in patients with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). Methods: A randomized, controlled trial method was conducted on 240 hypertensive patients and 35 physicians presenting to healthcare clinics in the Mashhad, Iran, from 2013 to 2014. Using stratified blocking with block sizes of 4 and 6, eligible patients with uncontrolled blood pressure were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Physicians in the intervention group received educational training over 3 sessions of Focus –Group Discussion and 2 workshops. The control group received the routine care. The primary outcome was a reduction in systolic and diastolic BP from baseline to 6 months. The secondary outcome was promoting HL skills in hypertensive patients. Data were analyzed using the regression model and bivariate tests. Results: After the physician communication training, there was a significant improvement in physicians-patient communication skills, hypertension outcomes, medication adherence, and self-efficacy among the patients being managed by the physicians receiving training, compared to the control group. Conclusion: The educational intervention leads to better BP control; it may have been sufficient training of physicians change to impact counseling, HL and self-efficacy and adherence. The quality of physician-patient communication is an important modifiable element of medical communication that may influences health outcomes in hypertensive Iranian patients. Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), IRCT20160710028863N24. Registered April 4, 2018 retrospectively registered.
Figure 1
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Posted 06 Jan, 2020
On 23 Jan, 2020
On 09 Jan, 2020
On 30 Dec, 2019
On 29 Dec, 2019
On 29 Dec, 2019
On 20 Oct, 2019
Received 20 Oct, 2019
On 08 Oct, 2019
Received 25 Sep, 2019
On 11 Sep, 2019
Invitations sent on 09 Sep, 2019
On 12 Aug, 2019
On 12 Aug, 2019
On 11 Aug, 2019
Communication Skills Training for Physicians Improves Health Literacy and Medical Outcomes among Patients with Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Posted 06 Jan, 2020
On 23 Jan, 2020
On 09 Jan, 2020
On 30 Dec, 2019
On 29 Dec, 2019
On 29 Dec, 2019
On 20 Oct, 2019
Received 20 Oct, 2019
On 08 Oct, 2019
Received 25 Sep, 2019
On 11 Sep, 2019
Invitations sent on 09 Sep, 2019
On 12 Aug, 2019
On 12 Aug, 2019
On 11 Aug, 2019
Background: Improving the training of physicians about communication skills and patient health literacy (HL) is a major priority that remains an open question. We aimed to examine the effectiveness of communication skills training for physicians on the hypertension outcomes and the health literacy skills, self-efficacy and medication adherence in patients with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). Methods: A randomized, controlled trial method was conducted on 240 hypertensive patients and 35 physicians presenting to healthcare clinics in the Mashhad, Iran, from 2013 to 2014. Using stratified blocking with block sizes of 4 and 6, eligible patients with uncontrolled blood pressure were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Physicians in the intervention group received educational training over 3 sessions of Focus –Group Discussion and 2 workshops. The control group received the routine care. The primary outcome was a reduction in systolic and diastolic BP from baseline to 6 months. The secondary outcome was promoting HL skills in hypertensive patients. Data were analyzed using the regression model and bivariate tests. Results: After the physician communication training, there was a significant improvement in physicians-patient communication skills, hypertension outcomes, medication adherence, and self-efficacy among the patients being managed by the physicians receiving training, compared to the control group. Conclusion: The educational intervention leads to better BP control; it may have been sufficient training of physicians change to impact counseling, HL and self-efficacy and adherence. The quality of physician-patient communication is an important modifiable element of medical communication that may influences health outcomes in hypertensive Iranian patients. Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), IRCT20160710028863N24. Registered April 4, 2018 retrospectively registered.
Figure 1