Disparities in the Conduct of the Medical Encounter

Abstract

The U.S. health care system continues to struggle to meet the needs of all members of society. Health disparities are a major concern of the health care system. There are differences in health outcomes related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, and other social indicators. Previous research has focused on differences in access to health care and differences in the delivery of specific medical services. More recently, researchers have examined the way doctors and patients interact to understand health disparities. The current study examines differences in the way doctors and patients interact in terms of information gathering, communicating information, and relationship building, as well as general conduct of the interaction and patient’s satisfaction with the encounter. The study uses data coded from audiotapes of 221 doctor–patient encounters. The results suggest medical encounters differ in important ways depending on patient and physician characteristics. These differences can create and contribute to health disparities.