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

A recent study published in The Annals of Family Medicine journal reveals that a physician's warmth and competence when delivering normal test results can significantly impact patients' worry levels. Researchers examined the effects of varying physician communication styles by presenting 349 participants with imagined gastrointestinal symptoms and a recently diagnosed relative with bowel cancer.

Participants then watched one of four videos in which a physician provided the same identical normal test results, but with differing levels of warmth and competence in their communication.

High-competence physicians exhibited behaviors such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using collaborative language, while low-competence physicians displayed fidgeting, filler words, and searching through patient files. Similarly, high-warmth physicians displayed positive body language and collaborative communication, whereas low-warmth physicians folded their arms and avoided eye contact.

The study found that participants who watched high-competence physicians rated the likelihood of a serious disease, including bowel cancer, as lower, reported less emotional concern, and expressed less desire to seek another physician's opinion or undergo a colonoscopy. Patients were also inclined to question the validity of the diagnostic information when presented by low-competence physicians, and to a lesser extent when presented by low-warmth physicians.

These findings suggest that a physician's warmth and competence directly influence how patients interpret and evaluate diagnostic information, potentially reducing their worry levels when normal test results are reported.