Physician-patient communication patterns (PPCP)

Developers: J Shapiro, E Saltzer

Year of publication: 1981

Date last updated: 21 October 2019

Setting in which the tool was originally developed/validated: Family medicine

Restriction to setting(s): Not specified

Target group: Family doctors and their patients, including culturally similar and dissimilar dyads

Language(s): English

Specific constructs/behaviours:

Scales:
1. Establishing rapport (initial physician demeanor, use of psychosocial questions)
2. Patient health belief system (assessment of the patient's health belief system, physician evaluation of the patient's health belief system, physician knowledge of culture-specific patient health beliefs)
3. Presentation of the therapeutic regimen (physician use of appropriate language, assessment of patient comprehension, attempt to incorporatemedical regimen into home treatment, exploration of impact of regimen on the patient's family, and sensitivity to patient's need for tangible treatment)
4. Patient feedback (providing the patient an opportunity to ask questions, asking the patient to repeat instructions, encouraging patient selfdisclosure, and asking about patient expectations for treatment)
Additional categories:
5. Quality of explanation of the therapeutic regimen
6. Sensitivity to patient modesty

Tool topics:

Intended application: Research

Reference(s) to development/validation paper(s):

Shapiro J, Saltzer E. Cross-cultural aspects of physician-patient communications patterns. Urban Health. 1981 Dec;10(10):10-15

• Shapiro et al. (1981)

Tool/manual available: No.

Additional information on copyright or other matters: -

Contact: Johanna Shapiro