Measuring the preference towards patient-centred communication with the Chinese-revised Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale: a cross-sectional study among physicians and patients in clinical settings in Shanghai, China

OBJECTIVES: To adapt the Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), to a Chinese context, and explore the preference towards patient-centred communication among physicians and patients with the Chinese-revised Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (CR-PPOS). DESIGN: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. SETTING: Clinical settings from eight medical units, including four community hospitals and four general hospitals, in Shanghai, China. PARTICIPANTS: 1018 participants, including 187 physicians and 831 patients, completed this study in two successive stages. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Psychometric properties of the CR-PPOS and participants’ score on the CR-PPOS. RESULTS: Compared with the original PPOS, the 11-item CR-PPOS obtained better psychometric indices. Physicians and patients scored differently on both the total CR-PPOS and its two subscales. Compared with physicians, the scores of patients were more influenced by their personal characteristics, such as age and education. CONCLUSIONS: The CR-PPOS is a better instrument in a Chinese context than the original translated version. The divergence in the extent to which patient-centred communication is preferred among Chinese physicians and patients should be noted. Adapting physicians’ communication strategy to patients’ preferences based on their personal characteristics can be a viable approach towards improving clinical efficiency.