Communication model between dentists and patients

Objectives: Bilateral communication is most important in order to form and keep human relations in modern society, and this is the same between a doctor and a patient at doctor's office. However, according to the increase of demand for dental treatment resulting from the increase of income and interest in health, medical disputes are increasing every year. Lack of smooth communication between a doctor and a patient is one of the reasons of medical disputes. The purpose of this study was analyzing conversations between doctors and patients in dental clinics, reviewing a correlation between the type of communication and satisfaction of patients, finding factors that disturb communications, and finally, ensuring a basic data for a desirable communication model.

Methods: Five dentists working at dental clinics in Seoul and 10 patients for each doctor, total 50 patients were enrolled in this study. Conversations between doctors and patients were recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on the theory of Eric Berne. Factors that disturb communication and satisfaction of patients were investigated through a questionnaire after dental consultations.

Results: The frequency of adult-like conversation was the highest in both doctors and patients. The more doctors made adult-like conversations, the more patients made adult-like conversations (p<0.05). The more doctors and patients have adult-like conversations, the more patients felt satisfaction (p<0.05). Factors that disturb communications were found out to be mostly due to doctors rather than patients. Conclusions: To make a more efficient, reliable and communicable conversation between doctors and patients, develop more effective conversation training models for dental manpower were needed.