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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1915-7281

Date Available

8-1-2028

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Communication and Information

Department/School/Program

Communication

Faculty

Renee Kaufmann

Abstract

Effective communication in healthcare is influenced by both physical and virtual environments, yet research has primarily focused on the physical aspects of patient-provider interactions. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored communication barriers in healthcare, including reduced interpersonal connections, provider burnout, and challenges in telemedicine (Wittenberg et al., 2021). As virtual care continues to expand, there is a critical need to examine how interactions in healthcare design—both physical and virtual—affects communication between nurses and patients. This dissertation integrates instructional communication, health communication, and healthcare design to explore the intersection of communication and environmental outcomes in healthcare settings. Specifically, it applies rhetorical and relational goals theory (RRGT; Mottet et al., 2006) and theory of supportive design (TSD; Ulrich, 1991) to assess how virtual environments influenced patient communication during a healthcare encounter. RRGT, traditionally used in classroom settings, offers a framework for understanding how healthcare providers function as educators who use rhetorical strategies to inform and relational strategies to build trust with patients. TSD, which emphasizes the impact of healthcare environments on well-being, has primarily been applied to physical spaces. However, this study extends TSD to virtual environments, examining how design elements influence communication effectiveness and patient outcomes. By surveying patients, this research seeks to understand how communication strategies interact with healthcare design in virtual settings through instructional theory. Findings will contribute to bridging the gap between health communication and healthcare design, offering practical insights for improving virtual care environments and enhancing patient-provider interactions.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.369

Archival?

Archival

Funding Information

College of Communication and Information Dissertation, Dissertation Research Fund, 2026

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Available for download on Tuesday, August 01, 2028

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