The Influence of Patient-Provider Communication on Self-Management Among Patients With Chronic Illness: A Systematic Mixed Studies Review.

The review included only 13 studies and did not combine them statistically, so it cannot show which communication approach works best. Many included studies were qualitative or cross-sectional, so they show association rather than cause. The authors searched only four databases and included English articles, so relevant studies may be missing. Provider type and provider demographics were often not reported. It is hard to know which professional's communication was being studied. Race and ethnicity were poorly reported, so the findings may not apply equally to minority or vulnerable populations. The included chronic illnesses were mainly diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, COPD and asthma, so the findings may not generalise to all chronic conditions. One qualitative study and one mixed methods study were appraised as low methodological quality. The authors note that adaptive interpersonal communication could be a consequence of good self-management rather than its cause. The review did not report a total number of participants across the included studies.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was funded by Sigma Theta Tau International and the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Do not read this as proof that changing communication improves self-management. Most evidence is observational or qualitative, and the authors state adaptive interpersonal communication could be a consequence of good self-management rather than its cause.