Date of Award:

8-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Communication Studies and Philosophy

Committee Chair(s)

Timothy Curran

Committee

Timothy Curran

Committee

John S. Seiter

Committee

Kimberly A. Clevenger

Abstract

Patient-provider communication occurs between patients and medical professionals. This type of communication is experienced by most U.S. adults yearly, and it can lead to positive health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of this type of communication in patient’s lives overall. Specifically, the study considered if good quality patient-provider communication is associated with people feeling an overall sense of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and an overall positive experience of their life. It also considered how much symptoms or treatment of health issues impact people’s lives. Data in the study was collected through an online survey with 297 people. The study found that quality patient-provider communication alone was not associated with people’s overall autonomy, competence, relatedness, or overall positive experience of their life. However, it did find that feelings of overall autonomy, competence, and relatedness were each associated with people experiencing their lives positively. Additionally, the study found that when people reported higher levels of health symptoms impacting their lives, patient-provider interaction quality was associated with autonomy and an overall positive experience of their life. Overall, the study suggests that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are important to how people experience their lives overall and that good quality patient-provider communication may be particularly important for people with higher health symptoms.

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