The communication skills and quality perceived in an emergency department: The patient's perspective

Abstract

Aim: To examine the influence of health care provider's communication skills on the quality of care perceived by Emergency Department patients.

Background: Communication between patients and health care providers in the context of Emergency Department is challenging and can potentially have a negative impact on the quality of care perceived by patients.

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the Emergency Department at the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca of Murcia, Spain.

Method: Data were collected from 6 to 9 June 2016. Different instruments were used to evaluate the perception of patients on the communication skills and quality of care at the Emergency Department.

Results: The sample was composed of 200 patients, with an average age of 44.1 (SD = 18.3), of which 106 (53%) were men. The multiple linear regression analysis showed the association between communication skills (respect, problem solving, and nonverbal communication) and age with the quality of care perceived by the patients.

Conclusions: We found that the communication skills of the health care providers were explanatory variables of the quality of care perceived in an Emergency Department.

Keywords: communication skills; emergency department; nursing; quality of care.