Objective: To develop a current understanding of the differences in how physicians communicate with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) patients in comparison to non-BME patients. Methods: Systematic searches of electronic databases and references lists were performed. Data from the included studies were extracted in line with the review’s aims, and the studies’ quality was assessed using a standardised criteria. Results: Sixteen studies were included. The results indicated that physicians communicated differently with BME patients compared to non-BME patients as a consequence of patients’ race. Physicians were found to show less participative and affective behaviours towards BME patients and black patients received more information giving behaviours than other ethnicities. Additionally, BME patients displayed less conversational behaviours in comparison to non-BME patients. Studies have also begun to relate other culture related variables to communication but their relationship was less established. Conclusion: While physicians’ communication behaviours varied across patients’ race, there still continues to remain a gap in relation to the literature base being able to sufficiently explain, (a) how race exerts its effect on physician communication and (b) what other variables can account for the differences in physicians’ communication. This gap may reflect the complexity of communication and the measures used. The review firstly reinforces the need for a diverse workforce and the necessity to incorporate affective dimensions of communication in physicians’ cultural communication training, and secondly, calls for future research to expand explanations beyond patients’ race.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:617544 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Ramsay, Lourina |
| Contributors | Fletcher, Ian ; Kinderman, Peter |
| Publisher | University of Liverpool |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/18513/ |
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