Communicating with Patients Summary
2023-24 Edition
Why is it important to have good communication with your doctor?
To make good choices about your health, it is important that your doctor clearly explain health problems in a way that is easy to understand. The doctor needs to provide clear instructions on what you need to do. Your trust in your doctor and your ability to care for yourself is affected by how well your doctor knows your health history and pays attention to your concerns.
What can doctors do to communicate well?
The best medical groups help their doctors and other staff to communicate well with you. This includes having doctors and other staff that know your health history, listen to your concerns and treat you with respect.
What do the ratings mean?
The ratings show the percentage of medical group patients who highly rated their doctors’ communication skills. The higher rating means more patients said their doctors communicate well.
The ratings are based on a survey of a sample of medical group patients, who had a visit in 2022 and calculated by the methodology set by the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH). The scores are based on at least 218 patient surveys.