Les enjeux de la communication médecin-patient et l’importance des caractéristiques psychologiques du médecin

The aim of this paper is to remind that medicine is both an objective and a subjective interpersonal human science. Every scientific and medical progress as regards a disease diagnosis, treatment or prognosis has to be in the service of the patient in the frame of his relationship with his physician. Today, we know that this relationship is underlain by an effective and coherent reciprocal communication that acknowledges the subjectivity of both the patient and the physician, in their cognitive and emotional perception of the physiological problem. From this general point of view, arises the question of the best way to improve communication between physicians and patients suffering from cancer. This is crucial because we know today that an effective and a high-performance communication that implies assessments using both open and open directive questions, listening to and acknowledging patient's emotional reactions and expectations could have numerous positive effects. For physicians, this communication allows having an effective assessment of patient's state and breaking the diagnosis more appropriately. Moreover, this communication allows establishing a climate of trust able to promote patient adherence to treatment and to reduce health care professional stress. The question of predicting the acquisition of such effective communication skills by physicians has been the heart of empirical studies. Through the concept of "locus of control" (LOC), this paper shows that physicians are different when they learn communication skills. Results of this paper highlight that physicians' acknowledgement of their own psychological characteristics could improve communication skills training programs' effectiveness.