Increasing patient satisfaction and compliance: An examination of physician humor orientation, compliance‐gaining strategies, and perceived credibility

This study examined the impact that patients' perceptions of a physician's humor orientation, credibility, and compliance‐gaining strategies had on their satisfaction and compliance. Perceived physician humor orientation positively related to perceived physician credibility, physician compliance‐gaining strategies, and patient satisfaction. Other positive relationships among perceived physician credibility, physician compliance gaining strategies, and patient satisfaction emerged. Compliance did relate significantly to physician humor orientation and perceived credibility. Aspects of patient satisfaction and physician use of compliance‐gaining strategies affected compliance. Additionally, this study revealed minimal differences among data collection methods (undergraduate (N = 44), graduate (N = 48), general public (N = 66), and online participation (N = 26)).

Key concepts:

• humor orientation
• physician‐patient interaction
• credibility
• compliance‐gaining
• patient satisfaction