THE EFFICACY OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES IN NURSING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
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Therapeutic communication (TC) is a cornerstone of nursing practice, fostering patient trust, emotional well-being, and clinical outcomes. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of TC techniques on patient outcomes, including satisfaction, anxiety, and adherence to treatment, across diverse clinical settings. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to December 2023, including 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n=3,800 participants). Meta-analysis revealed moderate improvements in patient satisfaction (SMD = 0.48, 95% CI [0.32, 0.64]) and anxiety reduction (SMD = -0.39, 95% CI [-0.55, -0.23]), with smaller effects on treatment adherence (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI [0.10, 0.40]). Heterogeneity was high (I² > 70%), and evidence quality was moderate (GRADE). TC techniques, particularly active listening and empathy-based approaches, improve patient-centered outcomes, but standardized training and long-term studies are needed.
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