• Sungchul Park and David D Kim.
• Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; L-HOPE Program for Community-Based Total Learning Health Systems, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
• Am J Prev Med. 2024 Nov 1; 67 (5): 740745740-745.

IntroductionEffective patient-provider communication is a critical component of optimal patient care, but its potential impact on the delivery of healthcare services remains unclear. This study examines the association of patient-provider communication with access to care, healthcare utilization, and financial burden of care.MethodsUsing the 2013-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey longitudinal data, the level of patient-provider communication was measured across four domains (attentive listening, clear explanation, respectfulness, and time allocation) as a primary independent variable, categorized into low, moderate, and high. A lagged dependent model was employed to examine the associations of patient-provider communication at baseline with subsequent access to care, healthcare utilization, and financial burden of care, controlling for baseline sample characteristics and outcomes measured at the baseline. Analysis was conducted in February 2024.ResultsAmong 28,955 analytic samples (representing 709,547,678 U.S. adults), 5.3%, 50.2%, and 44.3% reported low, moderate, and high levels of patient-provider communication. Marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, those with low education and income, and those lacking insurance, were more likely to report low patient-provider communication. Compared with adults with high patient-provider communication, those with low patient-provider communication were more likely to encounter difficulties in accessing medical care (2.6 percentage points; 95% CI: 1.2-3.9), experience delays in obtaining necessary medical care (2.8 percentage points; 1.3-4.4), have emergency room visits (4.2 percentage points; 1.9-6.4), and face difficulties paying medical bills (4.0 percentage points; 2.2-5.8) in the subsequent year.ConclusionsEncouraging effective patient-provider communication is essential for advancing patient-centered care and mitigating health inequities.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

22 keywords...

hide…