The biggest challenge with
is the assumptions that it makes.
The Stats
(click to reveal)
The Assumptions
Every patient has access to a doctor
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Every patient has the requisite health literacy to engage in a conversation
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Every patient has the self-efficacy to approach their doctor about treatment
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Every patient manages their own healthcare
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Every doctor welcomes a medication conversation initiated by a patient
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This call-to-action isn't oversimplifying a highly complex treatment journey​
and most notably...
There is only one type of patient-provider communication style
Patient-Provider Communication Styles Span a Spectrum
Pharma's messaging and services should be flexible enough to adapt to the different ways patients and providers engage with each other
Paternalistic
"Provider as Protector"
Provider Role: Promotes patient well-being independent of their preferences or values. Leads engagements and decision-making
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Patient Role: Assents to provider values and their role as decision-maker and engagement lead
Deliberative
"Provider as Counselor"
Provider Role: Articulates and persuades the patient of the most admirable values. Engagement and decision-making is a shared process
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Patient Role: Incorporates own values as a co-equal with provider in decision-making and engagement
Informative
"Provider as Technical Advisor"
Provider Role: Provides factual information without imposition of values. Assents to patient for decision-making and engagement
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Patient Role: Prioritizes own values and maintains control of decision making and engagement
Who Controls the Balance of Power for Engagement and Decision-Making
​Sources: •Adapted from Emanuel, E. J., & Emanuel, L. L. (1992). Four models of the physician-patient relationship. JAMA, 267(16), 2221
•Tan Z, et al. (2026) How physician communication style shapes patient trust: A systematic review. Health Commun. 6:1-19.
The communication style between a patient and provider is fluid.
It's influenced by both stable/contextual and situational factors.
Most patients and providers have a default or preferred communication style shaped by a combination of innate and environmental factors. However, a style may shift or adapt based on situational or value changes.
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personal values
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personality traits
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age / generation
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culture / upbringing
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education level
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socioeconomic status
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self-efficacy
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gender
Stable/Contextual
The Plucky Patient can help pharma better identify and strategically address those factors most likely to impact the communication styles of the patients and providers who use their products.
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situation severity
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situation urgency
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length of P-P relationship
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patient status (self or other)
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geography / service location
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provider type (PCP, specialist)
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prevalence of condition
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disease & Tx knowledge
Situational
It's also important to remember that while demographic and contextual factors may shape communication preferences at a population level, they should not be used to assume an individual patient's preferred communication style.
...I assured [my doctor] that I greatly appreciated his collaborative nature and personalized approach to my care and how it was in line with contemporary views of interpersonal health communication. Of course, I should have also let him know that, like him, such assessments have a monetary value. Maybe I’ll ask if he could just take the cost of my service off his bill.
