Patient-Centered Communication – COVID‑19

In practice, poor clinical outcomes may reflect gaps in communication between the clinical team and patient.

A large body of evidence shows that patient-centered communication improves patient satisfaction, self-management of chronic disease, adherence, and clinical outcomes.

Evidence has shown that training the clinical team can lead to improved communication skills, especially if it includes role playing. For example, shared decision making, the teach back technique, and motivational interviewing are evidence-based approaches to improve clinician-patient communications.

Moreover, health literacy is especially important in many underserved communities.

Good resources on this topic can be found at AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality):

If you have used a DRIVE Toolkit to improve health outcomes or need additional assistance, please contact us by filling out the form below.