Effective Patient–Physician Communication

Effective communication between physicians and patients is the cornerstone of the patient -physician relationship. Effective communication practices can build positive relationships, enable sharing power, and lead to mutual trust. Moreover, effective patient -physician communication improves patient experiences and health outcomes. The building blocks of relationship-centered communication include acknowledgment of a patient's identity and experiences, clarity of information, patient activation and participation, knowledge-related power and authority, emotional proximity and shared experiences, and managing health care and relational goals. In practical terms, this translates to communication behaviors that demonstrate humility to close the patient -physician relationship distance and achieve effective communication, particularly for marginalized patient populations.