Physician-Patient Interactions in Nigeria: A Critical-Cultural Perspective on the Role of Power

ABSTRACT

Healthcare system in Nigeria has suffered many structural problems, which have impacted healthcare access and delivery. In this study, I explore physician-patient interactions in Nigerian hospitals, with the goal of unveiling its impact of healthcare processes. Using a qualitative narrative framework and in-depth interviews with 22 Nigerians, the study attended to communication dynamics and challenges present in physician-patient relationship in Nigeria. Findings reveal Physicians’ low communication efficacy as characterized by lack of interpersonal relations, empathy, and depth of information disclosure. Additional findings reveal the culture of power as a major influence in this kind of relationship.

KEYWORDS:

• Physician-patient communication
• Nigeria
• health
• narrative framework
• power

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Physicians and doctors are used interchangeably.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Notes on contributors

Comfort Tosin Adebayo

Comfort Tosin Adebayo was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, at the time of this research. She is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Communication studies, Towson University. She studies intercultural and interracial communication in different contexts, including health and interpersonal contexts. Her research centres primarily on Black women’s pregnancy experiences within the U.S. healthcare system. She is focused on understanding group differences within the Black population in regard to their healthcare experiences.