Professional communication and job satisfaction in primary care clinics

There has been much discussion regarding how communication among health care professionals improves the quality of care for primary care patients, but less insight is available about how communication promotes job satisfaction among health care providers. In a cross-sectional study of 143 physicians and clinical staff from five US primary care clinics, researchers evaluated job satisfaction as it relates to face-to-face communication among staff about patient care. After adjusting for job title, gender, the number of years working at the clinic, and percent full-time employment, researchers found that job satisfaction was higher for those more actively engaged in face-to-face communication than those less engaged. Strategies to support frequent daily face-to-face communication among all team members, such as daily team huddles, may improve job satisfaction among primary care physicians and staff.

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Professional Communication Networks and Job Satisfaction in Primary Care Clinics
Marlon P Mundt, PhD, et al
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Madison, Wisconsin