Compliance Communication in Home Health Care: A Mutually Reciprocal Process

Abstract

The study described in this article examined the process of compliance gaining in home health care. The investigation focused on nurse-patient communication and the relational and content aspects of compliance communication. Six registered nurses and 25 adult patients from two cooperating home care agencies participated in this study. Observation during home visits and interviews with nurses and patients revealed a prosocial, collaborative model of compliance gaining. The findings show compliance communication to be embedded in nurse-patient conversations, with both nurse and patient engaging in control and affiliative behaviors. Implications for compliance research and the mutual-participation model of medical care are discussed.