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. 2025 Mar 5;27:e66760. doi: 10.2196/66760

Table 2.

The main effect of diagnosis explanation on the functional, relational, and emotional evaluations of the medical consultation.


No explanation, mean (SD) With explanation, mean (SD) F test (df) P value Bonferroni testa
Functional evaluations

Source credibility 4.2 (0.05) 5.12 (0.04) 21.48 (1, 240) <.001 1<2

Message credibility 4.26 (0.05) 4.97 (0.04) 16.35 (1, 240) <.001 1<2

Persuasive effect 4.07 (0.05) 4.94 (0.05) 16.29 (1, 240) <.001 1<2
Relational evaluations

Perceived empathy 3.36 (0.06) 4.77 (0.05) 20.13 (1, 240) <.001 1<2

Self-disclosure 4.15 (0.07) 4.53 (0.07) 4.01 (1, 240) .04 1<2

Psychological distance 2.3 (0.07) 3.67 (0.09) 16.68 (1, 240) <.001 1<2
Emotional responses

Optimistic 3.07 (0.06) 4.24 (0.07) 15.27 (1, 240) <.001 1<2

Guilty 3.37 (0.07) 2.99 (0.06) 4.87 (1, 240) .03 2<1

a1 indicates the mean value of no diagnostic explanation and 2 indicates the mean value of providing a diagnostic explanation.