Physician warmth and competence shape reactions to normal test results

In a peer-reviewed study involving 349 participants, a physician’s warmth and competence influenced how people interpreted normal test results, including whether they believed they had a serious illness and how much they wanted further testing or another opinion. Participants were asked to imagine experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and having a relative recently diagnosed with bowel cancer. They then watched one of four videos in which a physician delivered identical clinical advice and the same normal test results, while the physician’s communication style varied.

The high-warmth physician made eye contact, smiled and used collaborative language. The low-warmth physician folded her arms and avoided eye contact. High-competence behavior was represented by sitting upright and giving precise explanations, whereas the low-competence physician fidgeted, used filler words and searched through patient files. Because the clinical information remained constant across conditions, the study focused on how nonverbal and verbal behavior affected participants’ responses to otherwise identical diagnostic information.

Participants who watched the physician behave with high competence rated the likelihood of serious disease, including bowel cancer, as lower. They also reported less emotional concern and expressed less desire to consult another physician or undergo colonoscopy. Participants were more inclined to question the validity of diagnostic information when the physician appeared low in competence than when she appeared high in competence. Low warmth also increased participants’ inclination to question the information, although the effect was less pronounced than that associated with low competence.

The findings suggest that physician behavior can directly influence how patients evaluate reassuring test results. In the experimental scenario, conveying competence was associated with greater acceptance of normal results, reduced concern and less interest in additional medical evaluation. Warmth also mattered, particularly in relation to whether participants trusted the validity of the information. The study does not establish that communication style changes real-world clinical outcomes, and its use of imagined symptoms and scripted videos limits how directly the findings can be applied to patient care. Nevertheless, the results provide evidence that the way a clinician presents normal results may help reduce uncertainty and worry without altering the results themselves.

Subject of Research: How physician communication style affects responses to normal diagnostic test results

Article Title: Physician warmth and competence may help patients worry less over normal test results

Article References: Physician warmth and competence may help patients worry less over normal test results. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

Image Credits: AI Generated

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Keywords: physician communication, patient anxiety, normal test results, medical trust, diagnostic uncertainty, nonverbal communication, health psychology, clinical communication, Physician, warmth, competence, help