Effect on Health-Related Outcomes of Interventions to Alter the Interaction Between Patients and Practitioners: A Systematic Review of Trials

Successful interactions between patients and their practitioners lie at the heart of medicine, yet there are few rigorous trials of well-specified interventions to inform best practice. Trial evidence suggests that a range of approaches can achieve changes in this interaction, and some show promise in improving patients' health. To advance knowledge further, we need to replicate promising studies using rigorous methods. These should include explicit theoretical frameworks designed to link effects on key communication and interaction characteristics through to effects on health outcomes.