Nonverbal communication in doctor–elderly patient transactions (NDEPT): Development of a tool

ObjectiveThere are several measurement tools to assess verbal dimensions in clinical encounters; in contrast, there is no established tool to evaluate physical nonverbal dimensions in geriatric encounters. The present paper describes the development of a tool to assess the physical context of exam rooms in doctor–older patient visits.MethodSalient features of the tool were derived from the medical literature and systematic observations of videotapes and refined during current research.ResultsThe tool consists of two main dimensions of exam rooms: (1) physical dimensions comprising static and dynamic attributes that become operational through the spatial configuration and can influence the manifestation of (2) kinesic attributes.ConclusionDetails of the coding form and inter-rater reliability are presented. The usefulness of the tool is demonstrated through an analysis of 50 National Institute of Aging videotapes. Physicians in exam rooms with no desk in the interaction, no height difference and optimal interaction distance were observed to have greater eye contact and touch than physicians’ in exam rooms with a desk, similar height difference and interaction distance.Practice implicationsThe tool can enable physicians to assess the spatial configuration of exam rooms (through Parts A and B) and thus facilitate the structuring of kinesic attributes (Part C).