Patients' Perceptions of the Interpersonal Sensitivity of Their Healthcare Providers

Background: Preliminary studies have revealed an association between cultural competence and an improvement in the quality of healthcare services, increased patient satisfaction, and increased effectiveness of services. Objective: This study examined factors that helped to explain patients' perceptions of their providers' interpersonal sensitivity - one component of cultural competence. Methods and Participants: The respondents were 2075 racially/ethnically diverse adults, aged 50 years and older, who responded to a national telephone survey. Results: Results indicate that one of the main factors predicting interpersonal sensitivity is self-rated physical health: those who reported better health were more likely to see their provider as exhibiting higher levels of sensitivity. This was true for Hispanic/Latino patients. The results also suggest that having a provider of the same race/ethnicity was a significant factor only for Hispanic/Latino patients. Conclusion: Despite findings from previous research, racial/ethnic concordance may not be universally effective in improving interpersonal sensitivity in healthcare settings for all racial/ethnic groups. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]