Communication skills training for physicians improves health literacy and medical outcomes among patients with hypertension: a randomized controlled trial

Table 2 Patients sociodemographic and clinical characteristics

Characteristics	Total n = 240 (%)	Experimental n = 121 (%)	Control n = 119 (%)	P-value^a
Mean Age (±SD) range: 22–89 years	54.8 ± 11.5	53.8 ± 8.4	54.1 ± 10.1	0.81
Gender				0.701
Female	77.34%	78.2	80.2
Male	22.66%	21.8	19.8
Marital status				0.326
Married	82.3%	81.0	85.7
Widows	11.7%	11.6	10.2
Divorced	6.26%	8.4	4.1
Education				0.326
Illiterate	37.5%	40.5	42.0
< High school	42.8%	38.0	43.7
> High school	19.7%	21.5	14.3
Employment				0.745
Employed	86.7	89.1	86.8
unemployed	13.3	10.9	13.2
Income per month				0.245
< $100	26.7	25.6	27.7
100–200$	52.1	48.8	55.5
> $200	21.2	25.6	16.8
Comorbid conditions				0.89
Congestive heart failure	3.9	3.4	3.6	0.89
Diabetes	43.6	52.6	46.7	0.26
Coronary artery disease	12.5	12.3	13.9	0.69
Nicotine dependence	3.5	2.9	3.2	0.91
Cerebrovascular disease	6.7	5.7	9.2	0.21
Health literacy				0.321
Inadequate	55.3	55.15	48.87
Borderline	14.7	10.9	14.5
Adequate	30	27.4	25.3
Physician-Patient communication skills
Limited	66.7	68.4	70.2	0.710
Adequate	33.3	35.6	26.7
Self-efficacy
Good	1.2	1.2	1.2	0.52
Moderate	40.8	38.2	43.4	0.24
Poor	58	60.6	55.4	0.31
Medication adherence
Acceptable	12.4	13.6	11.2	0.31
Moderate	20.6	21.1	20.1	0.45
Poor	67	69.4	64.6	0.42

*Significant at the p < 0.05 level, ^aTesting significant differences between control and experimental groups; ^b using HLAQs for patients with BP, comprised of 33 items scored on a 4 point scale, higher scores indicate physicians are proficient to improve patients’ communication needs and health-literacy limitations

ISSN: 1472-6963