The project deals with the topic of doctor-patient communication with a particular attention to those cases characterized by linguistic and cultural differences. Given the increase in the number of foreign patients who enter the national health institutions, the project stands as an opportunity to bring to light specific problems, raise awareness and promoting educational programs in medical communication in order to better deal with this kind of patients.
The literature has shown the importance of an effective communication between doctor and patient for the patients¿ well-being and compliance, with positive effects for the health care systems concerning a decrease in unnecessary treatments and a reduction of costs. Nevertheless reviews of observational studies (Jacobs et al., 2003; Schouten & Meewesen, 2006) have pointed out that there are relevant and specific difficulties in communication between doctors and patients coming from different cultural contexts.
Following an ethnographic conversation-oriented approaches the research project aims :1) to analyze, , also through the development of a specific coding systemd, the quality of communication engaged by doctors with foreign patients in naturally-occurring medical visits in an Oncological Day Hospital in Rome and 2) to contribute to redefine and enrich the construct of ¿patient-centered communication¿ in the case of foreign patients. In the last year the project will focus on planning and implementation, of medical education interventions devoted to improve communicative patient-centered strategies with foreign patients.
Patient-centered communication (PCC) has become a key feature, due to its influence on patients¿ well-being and adjustment to diagnosis. Recent studies have shown how PCC has positive effects also upon the health system, involving a curtailment in health costs and a decrease in unnecessary treatments.
For this reason a better understanding of how to accomplish PCC also with foreign patients is a socially relevant issue given the increase in the number of foreign and migrant patients who enter the national health institutions (the foreigners who reside in Italy at January 1st 2017 are 5 millions and 29.000 equal to 8.3% of the total population). This is widely acknowledged also by important scientific medical associations such as ASCO and AIOM.
Making intercultural communication in medical care more effective is expected to have positive effects, not only on migrants¿ health and well-being, but also on their social integration and cultural socialization. This theme is considered pivotal and of great interest also for the European Commission: the Challenge 6 of ERC field SH (Social Sciences and Humanities) for the period 2018-2020 is fully dedicated to psychosocial issues related to immigrants and asylum seekers.
In this scenario, the project stands as an opportunity to re-define the scientific construct of patient-centered communication in the case of foreign patients.
Besides to enhance scientific knowledge, through results dissemination in scientific Journals, participation to conferences on health psychology, the organization of workshops in the hospital involved in the research project and medical education interventions, the project has also the ambition of having a social and organizational impact on improving communicative patient-centered strategies with foreign patients. Findings related to the implementation and evaluation of these interventions will help structure an integrative proposal to be applied on a broader scale.