Compliance with physician communication and health related quality of life of hypertensive patients and diabetic patients in Tamale teaching hospital

Abstract

The study investigated how compliance mediates physician communication and health related quality of life of patients with hypertension or diabetes in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. A cross sectional design was employed and collected data using structured questionnaire and structured interview guide. Using purposive, quota and convenient sampling methods, 211 patients were sampled out of which 148 and 63 were hypertensive patients and diabetic patients respectively for the study. Descriptive statistics and mediation analysis with regression were employed as the statistical tools for the study. The study revealed that hypertensive patients and diabetic patients have high health related quality of life. Patients mostly complied with physician‟s communication. The study also found that hypertensive patients and diabetic patients perceived the care physicians gave them was patient centred. Physician communication but not compliance improves health related quality of life of hypertensive patients and among diabetic patients, the improvement in health related quality of life for these patients did not have any relation with physician communication and compliance. The study recommended that physicians should continue employing patient centeredness skills which will improve compliance to treatment advice and health related quality of life of the patients. Hospital administrators should put in measures that will help to enhance better doctor-patient communication as it has been showed to relate positively with patient compliance, perception of patient centeredness care and health related quality of life. Stakeholder‟s involvement for an improved management system as well as the engagement of more psychologists should be intensified by the ministry.