Which medical interview behaviors are associated with patient satisfaction?

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the association between several medical interview behaviors and patient satisfaction. METHODS The subjects were 158 new patients who visited an outpatient facility of a university hospital in Japan. All medical interviews were videotaped and reviewed by a trained rater using a medical interview rating scale (Takemura Medical Interview Rating Scale) for evaluating medical interview behaviors. To measure patient satisfaction, a self-administered questionnaire was also developed. Both the rating scale and the questionnaire were assessed for validity and reliability beforehand. RESULTS A significant positive association was found between the behaviors of reflection and legitimation on the one hand, and patient satisfaction on the other. The positive association between reflection and patient satisfaction existed after adjusting for both the duration of the interview and the other medical interview behaviors used. The association between legitimation and patient satisfaction also existed after adjusting for the duration of the medical interview but disappeared after adjusting for the other medical interview behaviors used. When we investigated the strength of the relationship between each medical interview behavior and patient satisfaction, reflection was found to be the strongest determinant of patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS This research revealed a significant positive association between reflection or legitimation and patient satisfaction in an actual clinical practice setting.