Patient-centred communication improves across health centres

DOHA: A new study published on PubMed Central has shed light on how patients and healthcare staff perceive communication in health centres, operated b...

DOHA: A new study published on PubMed Central has shed light on how patients and healthcare staff perceive communication in health centres, operated by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).

The study, titled ‘Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Communication in Primary Care Centres in Qatar – A Focus Group Study,’ highlights communication gaps between patients and healthcare professionals in Qatar’s 31 PHCC-managed centres, which serve over 1.7 million people.

The focus group study emerged from a broader initiative by PHCC to enhance patient satisfaction after routine surveys consistently indicated shortcomings in how patients experience communication with health centre staff.

In response, PHCC undertook a comprehensive “realist review” of international research to identify evidence-based interventions that could improve patient satisfaction. However, most existing research was based in Western contexts, prompting PHCC to conduct 18 focus groups—nine with patients and nine with multidisciplinary staff—to explore local perspectives.

One of the most consistent concerns raised by patients was the importance of being warmly welcomed upon arrival—particularly being greeted with a smile and treated courteously. Many patients also expressed confusion about how the health centres operate and a lack of understanding of medical information.