Journal of general internal medicine
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Differences in patient-provider communication for Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic white patients in HIV care.
Hispanic Americans with HIV/AIDS experience lower quality care and worse outcomes than non-Hispanic whites. While deficits in patient-provider communication may contribute to these disparities, no studies to date have used audio recordings to examine the communication patterns of Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic white patients with their health care providers. ⋯ In this exploratory study, we found less psychosocial talk in patient-provider encounters with Hispanic compared to white patients. The fact that Hispanic patients rated their visits more positively than whites raises the possibility that these differences in patient-provider interactions may reflect differences in patient preferences and communication style rather than "deficits" in communication. If these findings are replicated in future studies, efforts should be undertaken to understand the reasons underlying them and their impact on the quality and equity of care.