Understanding Interpersonal Communication Processes Across Health Contexts: Advances in the Last Decade and Challenges for the Next Decade

Interpersonal communication processes are central to the provider–patient interaction and in relationships with someone who is ill or needs care. The last decade of research has documented the ways communication processes predict better outcomes in the provider–patient interaction and key constructs for consideration in close relationships in which a health issue in some way defines the relationship. The current article highlights findings from the previous decade and the ways previous findings serve as a theoretical and methodological foundation for more sophisticated analysis of interpersonal communication processes in health contexts. A relational perspective serves as a link between the provider–patient relationship and close relationships with someone with a health issue. Implications for provider–patient contexts, medical education, and close relationships highlight future directions for theory building, health literacy, health outcomes, family communication, developmental issues, and a life span perspective.

The author thanks her research assistant, Elizabeth Donahue, for gathering articles, and Tim Edgar and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.