A STUDY OF DOCTORS AND PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION-PROCESSINGAND COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE DURING THE MEDICAL INTERVIEW

Although considerable attention has been given to doctor-patient commu nication, little work has examined how doctors and patients process in formation obtained through interaction. The purpose of this research w as to examine differences in doctors' and patients' thoughts and feeli ngs and their perceptions of information exchange and relational commu nication during a medical interview. The results indicate that doctors and patients differ in their thoughts and feelings along several line s and in their views of communication functions. The results are discu ssed in terms of previous research on doctor-patient communication and implications for communication skills training for both doctors and p atients.