PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ha, Jennifer Fong AU - Longnecker, Nancy TI - Doctor-Patient Communication: A Review DP - 2010 Mar 20 TA - Ochsner Journal PG - 38--43 VI - 10 IP - 1 4099 - http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/10/1/38.short 4100 - http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/10/1/38.full SO - Ochsner J2010 Mar 20; 10 AB - Effective doctor-patient communication is a central clinical function in building a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship, which is the heart and art of medicine. This is important in the delivery of high-quality health care. Much patient dissatisfaction and many complaints are due to breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship. However, many doctors tend to overestimate their ability in communication. Over the years, much has been published in the literature on this important topic. We review the literature on doctor-patient communication.