Table 7.

Summary statistics for the number of occurrences of communication behaviour per consultation within each RIAS code grouping according to consultation type: patient assessments

Communication behaviour, mean (median, IQR)aFTFCTCVC
Patient education
  Provides biomedical information56.04 (44, 24–70)30.72b (25,c 14–38)27.02b (22,c 15–36)
  Provides psychosocial information4.10 (0, 0–6)2.62 (0, 0–3)2.67 (0, 0–3)
  Total count60.14 (49, 26–74)33.34b (30,b 18–39)29.69b (23,b 15–44)
Data gathering
  Open-ended biomedical questions1.45 (1, 0–2)0.64d (0,b 0–0)0.69d (0,c 0–1)
  Closed-ended biomedical questions1.42 (1, 0–2)0.85 (0, 0–1)0.42c (0,d 0–1)
  Open-ended psychological questions0.0800
  Closed-ended psychological questions000
  Bids for clarification0.140.49 (0,d 0–0)0.24
  Total count3.08 (2, 1–4)1.98 (1, 0–2)1.36c (0,b 0–2)
Rapport building
  Personal remark0.92 (0, 0–1)2.36c (1, 0–4)2.22c (0, 0–5)
  Laughter/tells joke0.430.38 (0, 0–1)0.38
  Approval0.040.75c (0b, 0–1)0.29d
  Empathy000
  Legitimate000
  Concern0.160.090
  Reassure0.140.040.04
  Total count1.69 (1, 0–3)3.62b (3,b 2–5)2.93d (2, 0–5)
Partnership building
  Paraphrase, checks understanding0.100.060.02
  Verbal attention, shows partnership support0.390.020.16
  Asking for clarification, bids for repetition0.020.30d (0c, 0–0)0.16
  Asking for clarification, asks for understanding00.130.02
  Asking for clarification, asks for opinion0.120.060.07
  Total count0.630.570.42
Disagreement
  Disagreement, shows disapproval direct0.0200
  Disagreement, shows criticism general000
  Total count0.0200
Giving direction
  Giving directions, transition000
  Giving directions, gives orientation instructions000.04
  Total count000.04
  • a (Median, IQR) are (0, 0–0) if not shown. Statistical significance calculated based on two sample t-tests and median tests for TC/VC compared with FTFC:

  • b P<0.001,

  • c P<0.01,

  • d P<0.05.

  • FTFC = face-to-face consultation. IQR = interquartile range. RIAS = Roter Interaction Analysis System TC = telephone consultation. VC = video consultation.