--- title: "Pt/MD race & time to discuss mental health in primary care. | Sutter Health" description: "Pts and their primary care MDs conversed for twice as long, and physicians demonstrated greater empathy during mental health topics than during biomed topics." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-md-race-empathy-mental-health-primary-care-1055312353" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Pt/MD race & time to discuss mental health in primary care. # Patient and physician race and the allocation of time and patient engagement efforts to mental health discussions in primary care: an observational study of audiorecorded periodic health examinations. Foo PK, Frankel RM, McGuire TG, Zaslavsky AM, Lafata JE, & Tai-Seale M. _J Ambul Care Manage. doi: 10.1097/JAC.0000000000000176. \[Epub ahead of print\]_ 2017-03-27 ## Abstract This study investigated racial differences in patient-physician communication around mental health versus biomedical issues. Data were collected from audiorecorded periodic health examinations of adults with mental health needs in the Detroit area (2007-2009). Patients and their primary care physicians conversed for twice as long, and physicians demonstrated greater empathy during mental health topics than during biomedical topics. This increase varied by patient and physician race. Patient race predicted physician empathy, but physician race predicted talk time. Interventions to improve mental health communication could be matched to specific populations based on the separate contributions of patient and physician race. [PubMed abstract](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28350633) ## Research topics - [Health Disparities](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Disparities%5C%22%22) - [Health Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Services%5C%22%22) - [Mental Health](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Mental+Health%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Understanding primary care physicians' propensity to assess elderly patients for depression using interaction and survey data.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pcp-propensity-assess-sr-pts-depression-1055312561) Tai-Seale M, Bramson R, Drukker D, Hurwicz ML, Ory M, Tai-Seale T, Street R Jr, Cook MA. Med Care. 43(12):1217-24. 2005 Dec 01 - Publication ### [Association of mandated language access programming and quality of care provided by mental health agencies.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/lang-access-care-quality-mental-health-agencies-1055312895) McClellan SR, Snowden L. Psychiatr Serv. 2014 Sep 15. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201300522. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2014 Sep 15 - Publication ### [The impact of threshold language assistance programming on the accessibility of mental health services for persons with limited English proficiency in the Medi-Cal setting.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/language-help-and-access-to-mental-health-services-1055312803) McClellan SR, Wu FM, Snowden LR. Med Care. 50(6):554-8. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3182463432. 2012 Jun 01 - Publication ### [Assessing the impact of behavioral risk factors and known-groups validity of the SF-12 in a US Chinese immigrant population.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/beh-risk-factors-sf-12-validity-chinese-immigrants-1055312973) Hung DY, Lubetkin EI, Fahs MC, Shelley DR. Med Care. 47(2):262-7. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181844de4. 2009 Feb 01 - Publication ### [The 1994-1995 National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS-D): a bibliography of 20 years of research.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/national-health-interview-survey-on-disability-1055312487) Ward BW, Ridolfo H, Creamer L, Gray C. Rev Disabil Stud. 11(2):1-22. 2015 Apr 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-md-race-empathy-mental-health-primary-care-1055312353#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Pt/MD race & time to discuss mental health in primary care."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-md-race-empathy-mental-health-primary-care-1055312353#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Patient and physician race and the allocation of time and patient engagement efforts to mental health discussions in primary care: an observational study of audiorecorded periodic health examinations.","headline":"Pt/MD race & time to discuss mental health in primary care.","abstract":"This study investigated racial differences in patient-physician communication around mental health versus biomedical issues. 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