Communication between older women and physicians: preliminary implications for satisfaction and intention to have mammography.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between physician communication styles and their older patients' intentions to get mammography and satisfaction with physician communication.
METHODS: This cross-sectional mixed methods study was conducted in a teaching hospital outpatient clinic with faculty general internists (n=7) and their female patients aged 65 years and older (n=56). Audiotaped communication was coded by researchers using the multidimensional interactional analysis and assisted doctor-elderly patient transactions coding systems. Demographic data was collected prior to the visit. Data on intention to have mammography and satisfaction with communication were collected immediately post-visit.
RESULTS: The majority of encounters had some degree of joint decision-making. Communication styles tended to be associated with women's intentions to have screening mammography. Patients who described communication as "deep", "trusting" and "bonding" were more satisfied with communication than women who rated physician communication as less trusting (p=0.03, 0.02 and 0.02, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Physicians' communication styles affect their older female patients' satisfaction. In this preliminary study, older women who rated communication as being deep, trusting and bonding tended to have a greater intention to have mammography. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Improving physicians' communication styles may increase satisfaction with physician communication and result in higher mammography adherence among older female patients.