Physician warmth and competence may reduce patient worry over normal test results

Receiving normal test results does not always alleviate patient anxiety, according to a new study. Researchers explored how physicians’ communication methods influence patient reactions to routine medical findings.

The study, published in The Annals of Family Medicine, involved 349 participants who imagined experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and having a family member recently diagnosed with bowel cancer. Each participant viewed one of four videos featuring a doctor delivering identical normal test results.

Videos differed in how physicians presented information, with some emphasizing empathy and others focusing on technical details. Researchers measured participants’ levels of worry after watching the videos.

Findings indicated that physicians perceived as both warm and competent were more effective at reducing patient anxiety about normal results, suggesting communication style plays a key role in patient reassurance.

Based on reporting from Medical Xpress (Cancer).

Source: Medical Xpress (Cancer). This article was drafted by AI from that reporting and reviewed by an automated accuracy check before publishing.