Perceptions of healthcare providers' communication skills: do they differ between urban and non-urban residents?

We examined the association of place of residence--urban versus non-urban--with patients' perceptions regarding communication and interactions with healthcare providers. Respondents' perceptions of their healthcare providers' communication skills were assessed by responses to six items from the 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. After controlling for several covariates, respondents in urban areas reported poorer communication by their healthcare providers than non-urban respondents. Differences in perceived quality of communication could contribute to reduce use of preventive healthcare and indicates a need to improve healthcare provider-patient communication in the urban setting.