Communicative Competence of a Doctor as the Basis of a Patient-Centered Approach

Abstract

This study is devoted to the peculiarities of the communicative competence of a dentist and the identification of the problem areas in the process of interaction with an elderly patient. The study was conducted using a specially designed questionnaire “Doctor through the Patient’s Eyes” and involved 100 patients aged 60–74, including 45 men (45% of the sample) and 55 women (55% of the sample). The results showed the absence of gender specificity in the opinions of men and women about the quality of doctor’s communication. In general, the study showed that the main problem areas in the process of communication between a dentist and an elderly patient are “screening”, effective information interaction skill, as well as managing the patient’s anxiety. The work can be recommended to tutors and teachers of communicative skills in healthcare to consider the age specifics of patients.