Communication skills to improve patient satisfaction and quality of care.

While clinicians face increasing time pressure in caring for patients, communication with the patient can suffer. Communication is especially important in caring for the increasingly culturally diverse patient population in the United States. Different values, beliefs, and attitudes about health, illness, and health care can affect illness outcomes. These are best understood through dialogue. Patient-centered communication skills are associated with improved health outcomes, improved patient and clinician satisfaction, and less risk of malpractice suits. This paper reviews techniques to efficiently incorporate patient-centered communication into the medical encounter, with emphasis on interacting with patients of different cultures.