Patient-Provider Communication and Health Outcomes Among Individuals with Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Disease in the USA

Patient-provider communication (PPC) is utilized as a value-based metric in pay-for-performance programs. We sought to evaluate the association of PPC with patient-reported health outcomes, as well as healthcare resource utilization among a nationally representative cohort of patients with hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) diagnoses.

Patients with HPB diseases were identified from the 2008–2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey cohort. A weighted PPC composite score was categorized using the responses from the CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey as optimal, average, or poor. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression.

Among 1951 adult-patients, representing 21.7 million HPB patients, reported PPC was optimal (33.4%), average (46.3%), or poor (15.3%). Patients who were older and patients with low income were more likely to report poor PPC (both p < 0.05). Statin use, a quality of care measure, was associated with optimal PPC (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.10–2.64; p = 0.01). In contrast, patients who reported poor PPC were more likely to have a poor physical (20.8%) or mental (8.8%) health component on their SF12 (both p < 0.05). Furthermore, patients with poor PPC were more likely to report poor mental status (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.60–5.52), as well as higher emergency department visits (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.25–3.05) and hospitalizations (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.02–3.55) (both p < 0.05). Reported PPC was not associated with differences in overall healthcare expenditures or out-of-pocket expenditures.

PPC was associated with a wide spectrum of patient-specific demographic and health utilization factors. Self-reported patient satisfaction with provider communication may be impacted by other considerations than simply the patient-provider interaction.