Consideration of the Communication Required of Doctors to Build a Strong Trusting Relationship with Patients and Primary Caregivers:

Abstract

Home medical care is medical care that supports the lives of patients, and it requires a trust between the patients and their primary caregivers. However, communication between doctors and patients is not emphasized in the curriculum of Japanese medical schools. Thus, in clinical practice, many doctors face the problems of communication with patients and primary caregivers. In this study, we focused on “social style theory” (Merrill & Reid, 1999), and clarified the communication skills required of the doctors for patients and primary caregivers to be able to recognize that they want this doctor to continue to take care of them until the end of the patient’s life. As a result of the analysis, it became clear that in order for doctors to gain strong trust from the patients and primary caregivers, the doctors need to firstly construct a pyramid consisting of (1) medical technology, (2) medical thinking, and (3) human communication. The doctors also need (4) a social style matching the patient and primary caregivers, which affects the whole pyramid. Among them, the combination of drivers between doctor and patient (primary caregivers) should be especially noted in the “social style matching”. Since drivers try to take control of each other’s conversation, there is a high possibility that halation will occur. Doctors need “versatility” which allows them to consciously meet the social style needs of patients and primary caregivers.

Keywords

• medical education for doctors
• services marketing
• medical management
• home medical care
• social style theory