Patients’ Perceived Cultural Sensitivity of Health Care Office Staff and Its Association with Patients’ Health Care Satisfaction and Treatment Adherence

Research suggests that patients’ interactions with their front desk office staff and patient-centered culturally sensitive health care are important factors in diverse patients’ overall health care satisfaction. Yet, patient-centered culturally sensitive health care research has focused almost exclusively on provider care. This study tested the hypothesis that patient-perceived cultural sensitivity of front desk office staff has a significant positive association with patient treatment adherence and that this relationship is mediated by patient health care satisfaction. Study participants were a culturally diverse sample of 1,191 patients from health care sites across the U.S. Results of a meditational analysis supported the tested hypothesis. Patient health care satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between patient-perceived cultural sensitivity of front desk office staff and patient treatment adherence. The patient satisfaction and cultural sensitivity variables explained 10% of the variance in patient treatment adherence. Training front desk office staff in patient-centered culturally sensitive health care may improve patients’ health care satisfaction and treatment adherence.