Intercultural effectiveness in GPs' communication and clinical assessment: An experimental study

Robin Vandecasteele; Stijn Schelfhout; Fanny D'hondt; Stéphanie De Maesschalck; Eva Derous; Sara Willems

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2024.108138

Intercultural effectiveness in GPs' communication and clinical assessment: An experimental study

Patient Educ Couns. 2024 May:122:108138. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108138. Epub 2024 Jan 11.

Authors

Robin Vandecasteele¹, Stijn Schelfhout², Fanny D'hondt³, Stéphanie De Maesschalck⁴, Eva Derous⁵, Sara Willems⁶

Affiliations

¹ Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Research Group Equity in Health Care, University Hospital Campus entrance 42, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: robin.vandecasteele@ugent.be.
² Ghent University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Work, Organization and Society, Vocational and Personnel Psychology Lab, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
³ Department of Sociology, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
⁴ Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Research Group Equity in Health Care, University Hospital Campus entrance 42, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Centre for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
⁵ Ghent University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Work, Organization and Society, Vocational and Personnel Psychology Lab, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
⁶ Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Research Group Equity in Health Care, University Hospital Campus entrance 42, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Centre for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Quality & Safety Ghent, University Hospital Campus entrance 42, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

PMID: 38237531
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108138

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate potential disparities in general practitioners' overall communication and clinical assessments based on patient ethnicity, while examining the influence of intercultural effectiveness.

Methods: Employing a 2 × 2 experimental study design, online video recorded consultations with simulated patients were conducted and analyzed using OSCEs. Each GP (N = 100) completed a consultation with both an ethnic majority and an ethnic minority patient. Additionally, a follow-up survey was administered to gather supplementary data. Paired sample t-tests explored ethnic disparities, correlation and regression analyses determined associations with intercultural attitudes, traits and capabilities.

Results: No statistically significant differences in GPs' communication or clinical assessment were found based on patients' ethnic background. Positive associations were observed between all aspects of intercultural effectiveness and GPs' consultation behavior. Intercultural traits emerged as a strong and robust predictor of clinical assessment of ethnic minority patients.

Conclusion: Intercultural traits, such as ethnocultural empathy, may play a critical role in GPs' clinical assessment skills during intercultural consultations.

Practice implications: Findings provide valuable insights into the determinants of intercultural effectiveness in healthcare, fostering promising targets for interventions and training programs aiming to ensure higher-quality and more equitable care delivery.

Keywords: Doctor-patient communication; Ethnocultural empathy; General practice; Intercultural clinical assessment; Intercultural communication; Intercultural effectiveness; OSCE.

MeSH terms

Communication
Ethnicity*
General Practitioners*
Humans
Minority Groups
Physician-Patient Relations