Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40342582›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2025

Smiling doctor, satisfied patient-the impact of facial expressions on doctor-patient interactions.

Pia Schneider, Giulia Zerbini, Philipp Reicherts, Miriam Reicherts, Nina Roob, Tobias Hallmen, Elisabeth André, Thomas Rotthoff, Miriam Kunz

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Pia SchneiderDepartment of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Giulia ZerbiniDepartment of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Philipp ReichertsDepartment of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Miriam ReichertsDepartment of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Nina RoobMedical Education Sciences, DEMEDA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Tobias HallmenDepartment of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Applied Computer Science, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Elisabeth AndréDepartment of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Applied Computer Science, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Thomas RotthoffMedical Didactics and Education Research, DEMEDA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Miriam KunzDepartment of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Although the importance of facial expressions for good doctor-patient communication is widely acknowledged, empirical evidence supporting this notion is scarce. We used a fine-grained, anatomically-based measure to investigate which facial expressions are displayed in (simulated) doctor-patient consultations and whether these can predict communication quality. Methods: Fifty two medical students engaged in simulated doctor-patient consultations with standardized patients (SPs) and their facial expressions were analyzed using the Facial-Action-Coding-System (FACS). The quality of the communication was rated by SPs, medical students, and by communication experts. SPs also rated their level of comfort. Results: The predominant facial expression being displayed by medical students was smiling. Medical students' smiling positively predicted the communication quality and level of comfort experienced by SPs. In contrast, smiling had little effect on medical students' self- and expert-assessments of communication quality. Smiling of medical students significantly predicted patient level of comfort and perceived quality of communication. This predictive power was found for genuine and for social smiles as well as for smiles displayed during speaking and during listening. Discussion: Smiling seems to be a robust non-verbal behavior that has the potential to improve doctor-patient communication. This knowledge should be taken into consideration in medical training programs.

Indexed as

doctor-patient communicationfacial expressionmedical studentsnon-verbal communicationpatient satisfaction

Identifiers

PMID40342582
PMCPMC12058742

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.