Predictors of patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare: College healthcare providers and students' communication.

Background: Prior research indicates that healthcare provider-patient communication influences health outcomes such as patient satisfaction, compliance with diagnosis or treatment, and general health quality. However, little is known about this type of inquiry in the context of healthcare centers on college and university campuses. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the influence of students' perception of college healthcare providers' affective and instrumental behaviors on student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare at a university health center. Methods: 349 participants who were college students took an online survey. Regression analyses were conducted. Results: Affective and instrumental behaviors were important communicative behaviors predicting student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare. However, directions of these predictions differed between student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare. Conclusion: Healthcare providers at the university health center are recognizing student patients as partners in the healthcare decision-making processes.