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Structural disparities (eg, food insecurities, housing, and lack of transportation) at different social levels (eg, personal, family, and community) are strong determinants of health, influencing individuals' and population well-being worldwide. Research is scarce examining how clinical communication can mitigate the negative impact of social disparities obstructing the reception of quality healthcare. In this study, we explore the mediation role of patient-centered communication (PCC) between social determinants of health (SDH) and quality of care. Using a sample of 5437 adult who visited a healthcare provider in the past 12 months from the sixth Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6), our key points of findings included that the models showed PCC partially mediating the connections from (a) "skipped meals" (effect = −.08, 95%CI = [−.12, −.04]), (b) "unaffordable meals" (effect = −.08, 95%CI = [−.11, −.05]), (c) "fear of eviction" (effect = −.1, 95%CI = [−.14, −.06]), and (d) "lack of transportation" (effect = −.12, 95%CI = [−.16, −.08]) to quality of care (QoC). Specifically, better communication had a positive impact on mediating the disparities; poor communication did not. Demonstrating in a nationally representative sample, our findings indicate the key role of patient-centered clinical communication in effectively alleviating the inherent challenges faced by people with low health literacy and socioeconomic status. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (2010-2018) to examine associations between diabetes patients' satisfaction with their provider and ratings of healthcare received, diabetes care self-efficacy, and monitoring adherence among nonpregnant reproductive age women with diabetes. The sample included nonpregnant women of childbearing age (18-45) with diabetes mellitus (n = 767; weighted n = 1.3 million women). The results indicated that patients who reported that their usual care provider always asked/showed respect for medical, traditional, and alternative treatments that the person is happy with had 2.59 times greater odds (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.32-5.10) of giving high ratings of healthcare (8-10) compared to those whose provider did not show respect for treatments. Results also showed that patients who reported they were asked to decide between a choice of treatments had 1.76 greater odds (95% CI:1.03-3.01) of diabetes care monitoring adherence. Findings demonstrate the importance of patient-centered communication experiences in relation to diabetes care monitoring adherence. Implications of the findings for clinical encounters are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]