Healthcare Provider Communication Patterns during Consultations about Treating Localized Prostate Cancer

Background: Disparities in mortality in prostate cancer may reflect differences in healthcare providers’ communication. Objective: This study examined physicians’ communication with African American and Caucasian men when making decisions about treatment for localized prostate cancer to determine whether information-giving and partnership-building behaviors varied by the age, education level, and race of the patient. Methods: The study was a secondary analysis of data from a larger study examining decisionmaking among men with prostate cancer. Verbatim transcripts of physician communication with 13 African American and 32 Caucasian patients were coded using a well-established scheme. Results: Physicians tended to use information-giving and partnership-building behaviors more often with patients who were Caucasian, but this practice was tempered by the patient’s age or education level. Conclusion: Information-giving and partnership-building behaviors should be studied relative to patient outcomes, such as treatment adherence and satisfaction. Communication is a two-way interaction, and patients’ perceptions should be included in future studies. Practice implications: Biases, assumptions, and differential behavior toward patients who are older, minorities, or less educated must be addressed during all healthcare providers’ socialization and education. All will benefit from their education in communication and partnership-building with patients.