Physician empathy and communication were the leading cause of higher satisfaction among chronic pain patients, according to a study published in the March edition of Annals of Family Medicine.
The study surveyed 1,352 patients with chronic back pain and examined self-reported measures on physician communication; physician empathy; current physician opioid prescribing for low back pain; and outcomes relating to pain intensity, physical function and health-related quality of life.
The study also included a subgroup of 355 patients who have experienced chronic low back pain and been treated by the same physician for over five years. The effect of physician empathy and communication on patient satisfaction remained the same among the two groups.