Investigating Service Quality and Patient Satisfaction in the Physician-Patient Encounter: The Role of Nonverbal Communication and Gender Composition.

Given the constant pressure to improve patient experience, this study investigates how physicians' nonverbal communication (NVC) shapes patients' perceptions of service quality and patient satisfaction, while accounting for the role of gender in physician-patient interactions. To isolate the role of NVC, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was employed, featuring manipulated kinesics (open vs. closed) and physician gender (male vs. female), with patient gender included as a measured factor. Data from 200 participants (50 per scenario) revealed that open kinesics significantly enhanced both service quality and patient satisfaction. Although physician gender alone had no direct impact, the interaction between physician and patient gender was significant for patient satisfaction. These findings emphasize the role of kinesic cues as a key dimension of NVC in shaping patient experience.