The impact of relational dimensions of risk communication on infertility patients’ risk perceptions

Abstract

Perceptions toward risky infertility treatments and doctors’ communication of medical risk information to patients are little‐studied areas in both the risk literature and the doctor‐patient communication literature. Of particular interest is the impact of relational dimensions of a communication interaction on patients’ risk perceptions. This preliminary exploratory study investigates how physicians present risk information about infertility treatments to their patients. General information about the content of patients’ clinical visits, physicians’ presentations of risk, patients’ perceptions of risk, relational dimensions of the communication interaction, and patients’ satisfaction with their physician and treatment were assessed. Relational or non‐content dimensions of the communication encounter were associated with patients’ risk perceptions and patients’ satisfaction with the treatment.