Ricerc@Sapienza

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.