ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A new study finds a doctor’s background matters -- and we’re not just talking about where they went to medical school.
Researchers at the University of Michigan discovered that what a doctor has behind them during a virtual doctor’s appointment can make a real difference in how patients feel about their care.
Telemedicine has become a convenient way to see your doctor, but patients have a preference when it comes to their doctor’s background.
“Patients clearly prefer a professional and traditional background,” said Dr. Nathan Houchens. “That is a traditional office or an examination room.”
Houchens, a doctor with the University of Michigan, led the study, which showed patients examples of various backgrounds for virtual visits -- including both office and home settings.
“The physician office with credentials on the wall was the highest rated across the board at about 35% of all patients responding that they most preferred that environment,” Houchens said.
The study showed that a physician’s office background increased patient confidence.
“Patients did not like bedroom and kitchen settings,” Houchens said. “So, there was something that patients did not gravitate toward when it seemed like the setting was more informal and more at home.”
Houchens said the background is part of non-verbal communication, which can play a big role in how patients perceive their visit.
“Even just based on the way that a physician or a health care provider is dressed, based on their gestures, or their facial expressions have a big impact on the patient experience and satisfaction,” Houchens said.
He encourages all providers and healthcare systems to have a virtual background available that looks like a traditional or professional environment for those occasions when a healthcare provider can’t do a virtual visit from their office.