Social Support as a Factor of Increasing the Efficiency of Interaction between Doctors and Patients

Introduction. The article discusses the supportive style of communication and the use of elements of informational and emotional social support as factors for increasing the effectiveness of interaction between doctors and patients. The research assumption is that elements of informational social support are more common in the interaction of Russian doctors with patients than manifestations of emotional support; in society, there is a certain demand for increased emotional support, the use of a supportive communication style by medical workers. The article has two goals – to identify the main techniques used in professional communication in the framework of the implementation of social support; to formulate the main problematic aspects of the provision of social support by doctors to patients.

Methodology and sources. The methodological framework of the study includes the following: the theory of social roles, which made it possible to analyze social expectations from communication in the professional activities of a doctor; the concept of psychological stress and coping processes by R. Lazarus, on the basis of which we formulated and applied in the study the classification of the main forms of social support; the theory of communicative styles by V. Satir, which made it possible to identify individual speech and non-speech patterns of communication as components of the doctor's supporting communication style.

Results and discussion. The results of the analysis of records of online consultations between doctors and patients in the telemedicine mode, as well as a survey of  55 respondents using closed and open questions are presented. It is concluded that informational support is more expressed in the behavior of doctors conducting consultations than emotional support; in society there is a certain demand for greater emotional involvement, the use of elements of a personal relationship, increasing the availability of information in the presentation of information by doctors to patients.

Conclusion. The study confirmed the author's assumption that informational social support in the communication of modern Russian doctors and patients is implemented to a greater extent than emotional; in society, a request is being formed for doctors to use a supportive communication style, to increase involvement, personal interest in the process of interaction.

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