ICCH conference day 2

On day 2 of the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare, I heard a presentation by Dr. Somnath Saha of Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Saha presented his research on communication, trust and racial disparities in HIV care. One of the most provocative points he brought up was that African American patients report better commmunication with their doctors than white patients. But actual observations of patient-physician conversations show that white patients actually are the recipients of better communication; that is, their questions are answered and they are allowed more time to talk during the conversation. So what's happening? The most likely explanation is that African American patients have lower expectations of physician communication. On some level, many African American patients don't expect to be an active part of the conversation, where white patients are starting to expect better communication. As communication scholars seek to make physicians better communicators and help patients ask better questions, scholars also need to raise the level of expectations. All patients should expect their doctors to make an effort to be competent communicators. Our health depends on it.