Patient-Reported Communication Scale

The Patient-Reported Communication Scale (PRCS) is a brief, validated instrument that measures patients' perceptions of clinician communication quality in healthcare encounters. Developed through meta-analytic research by Haskard Zolnierek and DiMatteo, the PRCS assesses key dimensions of effective patient-clinician communication: clarity of explanations, listening, showing respect and empathy, and addressing patient concerns. The scale is used to evaluate clinician communication competence, identify training needs, and correlate communication quality with patient adherence, satisfaction, and health outcomes.