Healthcare provider-patient communication challenges: A scoping review protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Effective communication between healthcare providers (particularly physicians and nurses) and patients is crucial. However, numerous challenges exist across various care settings. This study aims to employ a scoping review methodology to identify the challenges in healthcare provider-patient communication, as well as the facilitating and inhibiting factors involved. OBJECTIVE This protocol aims to conduct a comprehensive scoping review to identify and analyze the challenges, barriers, and facilitators in healthcare provider-patient communication. The findings will inform the development of practical strategies and educational interventions to enhance the quality of care and patient satisfaction. METHODS This scoping review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. It will focus on research concerning communication between healthcare providers (including physicians, nurses, and clinical specialists) and patients. A comprehensive search strategy will be implemented using keywords such as "physician," "healthcare provider," "healthcare worker," "healthcare personnel," "healthcare professional," "patient," "client," "communication," and "communication skills." The search will be performed in two major databases, PubMed and Embase, for studies published between January 2000 and June 2023. There will be no restrictions on publication type or study design, and both quantitative and qualitative studies will be included. Participants in the selected studies will include healthcare providers and professionals with direct patient contact, as well as the patients themselves. For quantitative studies, appropriate checklists will be used depending on their methodology. The SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research) checklist will be utilized for the quality assessment of qualitative studies. RESULTS This scoping review will synthesize and map the available evidence against the predefined objectives. The findings will be presented graphically and in a summary table, encompassing study characteristics, key themes related to challenges and facilitators, as well as communication outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This article presents the protocol for a study that will identify communication challenges between healthcare providers, including nurses and physicians, and their patients. The findings of this research can assist health policymakers in planning strategies to enhance communication and improve the quality of healthcare services.