Physician-Patient Interaction Quality as a Predictor of Patient Satisfaction: Examining the Unique Contributions of Communication and Empathy in Pakistani Healthcare

Abstract

To examine the associations among patients' perceptions of physician communication, physician empathy, and patient satisfaction in Pakistani hospital settings. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in public and private hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, between December 2024 and February 2025. Using purposive convenience sampling, 280 adult patients from psychiatry (n = 92), dermatology (n = 102), and cardiology (n = 86) completed the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT), the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and a 10-item patient satisfaction scale. Pearson correlations assessed bivariate associations. Multiple linear regression tested whether communication and empathy jointly predicted patient satisfaction. One-way ANOVA examined differences in satisfaction across specialties, and independent samples t-tests compared satisfaction by gender and hospital type. Physician communication was strongly correlated with physician empathy (r = .91, p < .001) and patient satisfaction (r = .90, p < .001). Physician empathy was also strongly correlated with patient satisfaction (r = .92, p < .001). In regression analysis, the model was significant, F(2, 277) = 825.47, p < .001, explaining 85.6% of the variance in patient satisfaction (R² = .856; adj. R² = .855). Both physician communication (B = 0.34, SE = 0.04, β = .39, p < .001) and physician empathy (B = 1.06, SE = 0.10, β = .56, p < .001) independently predicted higher patient satisfaction. No significant differences in satisfaction were found across specialties (F(2, 277) = 1.24, p = .29) or by gender (t(278) = 0.87, p = .38). Patients' perceptions of physician communication and empathy are strongly associated with patient satisfaction, and both contribute uniquely to satisfaction ratings. Interventions that strengthen patient-centred communication and empathic engagement may improve patient experience in time-constrained healthcare settings.

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