Journal Article

Communication Barriers in Patient-Provider Interactions in Health Care: Scoping Review

Liu, Yunmei, Chowdhury, Moajjem Hossain

2026

Overview

Effective communication is crucial for high-quality health care, but systemic barriers still disrupt patient-provider interactions. Research shows that communication failures are a major reason for preventable medical errors. These issues are linked to around 30% of malpractice claims and over 1744 deaths each year in the United States. In addition, hospitals lose about US $12 billion each year because of miscommunication. Despite the critical nature of this issue, the literature remains fragmented. Most studies focus on specific communication problems rather than examining how these barriers work together in patient-provider settings. This scoping review aims to map the literature thoroughly to (1) identify and categorize key types of communication barriers, (2) evaluate their impacts on patient experience, clinical decision-making, and health outcomes, and (3) examine intervention strategies designed to mitigate these challenges. The findings aim to inform the development of adaptive, technology-enabled solutions to improve patient-provider communication in increasingly diverse and digitally integrated health care settings. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines across four databases: PubMed, IEEE Xplore, CINAHL, and Current Contents Connect. This covered the period from January 1, 2004, to April 30, 2026. The search focused on peer-reviewed, English papers that examined language barriers, cultural barriers, psychological barriers, and mental model differences in clinical settings. From an initial set of 6233 records, 253 studies met our stringent inclusion criteria. This review divides communication barriers into four categories: linguistic, cultural, psychological, and mental model differences. It highlights four key findings. First, there has been a notable increase in scholarly interest in communication barriers over the last decade, showing greater awareness in clinical fields. Second, although the four barriers have been known, little is known about the specific communication habits or physiological signs defining each barrier. Third, while researchers have linked individual barriers to adverse outcomes, evidence shows that various barriers often happen at the same time. This creates a combined effect that increases patient distress. Fourth, despite the introduction of promising solutions such as interpreter services, cultural training, and AI tools, a lack of basic knowledge about real-time indicators slows the development of intelligent systems. Unlike previous reviews, which typically examine single communication barriers, this scoping review offers a new approach by mapping how linguistic, cultural, psychological, and cognitive barriers intersect. It provides a unified framework that connects these complex communication failures to specific technological solutions. In practice, this guides the combining of AI tools with real-time physiological monitoring to develop adaptive, patient-centered communication strategies. Ultimately, incorporating these responsive technologies into clinical practice is crucial for lowering medical errors, addressing health disparities, and ensuring fair, patient-centered care.

• Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc
• Subject: Adoption and Change Management of eHealth Systems / Clinical Communication, Electronic Consultation and Telehealth / Communication / Communication Barriers / Delivery of Health Care / Digital Health Reviews / Digital Health, Telehealth and e-Innovation in Clinical Settings / Humans / mHealth in a Clinical Setting / Physician-Patient Relations / Review