Students’ Perceptions of Provider Cultural Competence and Communication with Providers: Predictors of University Health Center Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

As student populations become more diverse, understanding university health center (UHC) providers’ cultural competence is important for providing students with quality care. Student satisfaction with UHC provider care is influenced by a number of factors, including interpersonal communication between patients and providers. The emphasis on culture, however, suggests that providers’ cultural competence should also be an important factor. Guided by communication accommodation theory, this study examined the relationships between patients’ willingness to communicate with providers, communication apprehension with providers, and perceptions of providers’ cultural competence and if they predicted patient satisfaction with UHC care. Results suggest that willingness to communicate, communication apprehension, and some elements of perceived provider cultural competence were significantly related. Willingness to communicate, communication apprehension, and patient-centeredness were predictors of patient satisfaction. These findings have implications for how UHCs can focus on culturally competent care while meeting the healthcare needs of students.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Nicole Hudak, Ethan Smith, and Bill Newton for this assistance with data collection and Katherine Harville for her editing of previous manuscripts.