We aimed to study the quality of communication between health care providers and patients with low
back pain with emphasis on information giving in a back pain clinic, including if characteristics of
patients could be associated with communication quality. We videotaped 79 encounters in which 21 providers
informed patients about the results of magnetic resonance imaging of the back. Background information
about the patients was collected by questionnaires and interview after the encounter. Videotapes
were analysed with the Four Habits Coding Scheme (4HCS) in which higher scores mean better communication.
There were strong negative correlations between 4HCS scores and the duration of back pain, and
patient age. The results were significant for all professional subgroups (doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors).
Communication quality in encounters with back pain patients is worse, the longer the patient
has suffered pain. Poor communication quality also seems to be associated with patients being older