Patient perception of doctor communication skills and patient trust in rural primary health care: the mediating role of health service quality

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the relationship between communication skills, health service quality, and patient trust in primary health services. METHOD: This study was conducted in village clinics in rural China. A simple random sampling method was used to select volunteer village clinics and patients. In total, 574 participants from 25 village clinics were selected with the help of local health officers and village doctors. The response rate was 90%. Statistical analyses (hierarchical linear regression analysis and a structural equation model) were performed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Patient trust in doctors in rural primary health was influenced by patient perceptions of doctors’ communication skills and health service quality. However, health service quality fully mediated the relationship between doctors’ communication skills and patient trust in village clinics. In other words, doctors’ communication skills indirectly influence patients’ trust in doctors. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a link between doctors’ communication skills and patient trust. The findings suggest that health managers and doctors should attach great value to communication skills and health service quality in promoting the rural doctor-patient relationship. Moreover, the relationship between doctors and patients should be considered when reforming the primary health system. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-022-01826-4.