Age-related patient preferences for physician communication styles

Previous research in the health communication area has failed to investigate the relationship between patient age and preference for physician communication style. Varying combinations of two styles are explored: Information-dispensing strategies and affective strategies. Multiple comparison procedures indicate that style preferences differ significantly between age groups. While most patients prefer a high degree of both information and affect, older patients prefer a low-information/high affect strategy. Results may indicate the presence of receiver apprehension in elderly patients. Implications for the preparation of future physicians are explored and discussed.