Associations between stuttering avoidance and perceived patient-centeredness of health care interactions

Purpose: To determine the relationships between (1) stuttering severity and (2) avoidance of speaking on patient centeredness of healthcare system interactions in a sample of persons who stutter. Methods: This quantitative study utilized cross-sectional electronic surveys to assess the experiences of one-hundred-twenty-two adults who stutter in the United States with primary care physicians. The surveys evaluated: (1) self-reported stuttering severity and avoidance of speaking; and (2) self-reported patient-centeredness of healthcare interactions. We used multivariate linear regression to model relationships between independent and dependent variables, controlling for age, gender, patient-provider relationship duration, race/ethnicity, the presence of comorbid conditions, and household income. Results: Patient self-reported avoidance of speaking was significantly negatively associated with self-reported patient-centeredness of healthcare interactions. Patient self-reported stuttering severity was not significantly associated with patient-centeredness. Conclusion: Our findings present evidence that internal non-observable behaviors among persons who stutter, such as avoiding speaking, are associated with negative impact on healthcare interactions. Speech-language pathologists may want to discuss healthcare challenges with their clients and elicit communication barriers to inspire positive interactions within the healthcare system.