Provider communication quality: Influence of patients’ weight and race

•Patient–provider communication quality differs by patient race/ethnicity and weight.•Overweight and obese blacks experience worse patient–provider communication quality.•Curricula on weight bias and cultural competency may address these disparities.

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between patient weight and provider communication quality and determine whether patient race/ethnicity modifies this association.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis with 2009–2010 medical expenditures panel survey–household component (N = 25,971). Our dependent variables were patient report of providers explaining well, listening, showing respect, and spending time. Our independent variables were patient weight status and patient weight-race/ethnicity groups. Using survey weights, we performed multivariate logistic regression to examine the adjusted association between patient weight and patient–provider communication measures, and whether patient race/ethnicity modifies this relationship.ResultsCompared to healthy weight whites, obese blacks were less likely to report that their providers explained things well (OR 0.78; p = 0.02) or spent enough time with them (OR 0.81; p = 0.04), and overweight blacks were also less likely to report that providers spent enough time with them (OR 0.78; p = 0.02). Healthy weight Hispanics were also less likely to report adequate provider explanations (OR 0.74; p = 0.04).ConclusionOur study provides preliminary evidence that overweight/obese black and healthy weight Hispanic patients experience disparities in provider communication quality.Practice ImplicationCurricula on weight bias and cultural competency might improve communication between providers and their overweight/obese black and healthy weight Hispanic patients.