Dr. Roter's primary research focus is physician-patient communication. She has developed a method of process analysis applied to audiotapes of medical encounters which has been widely adopted by researchers, both nationally and internationally. Her studies include basic social psychology research regarding communication dynamics and interpersonal influence, as well as health education and health services research. Her research includes clinical investigation of patient and physician interventions to improve the quality of communication and enhance its positive effects on patient health outcomes, and educational applications in the training and evaluation of teaching strategies to enhance physicians' communication skills. Recent work has investigated the association between patients' and physicians' ethnicity and gender and their communication style

Health Policy and Management, Doctor-Patient Communication

Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS)

Physician training

Patient activation

Patient compliance

Dr. Roter has been recognized by the Web of Science as one of the 250 most highly cited social scientists over the 20 year period of 1981-1999. She is the recipient of several awards, including the Society for Public Health Education's Beryl Roberts Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to Health Education Research, the American Academy on Physician and Patient Award for Outstanding Research Contributing to the Theory, Practice and Teaching of Effective Health Care Communication, and the Johns Hopkins Golden Apple Award for recognition of excellence in teaching. She serves on the editorial board of several journals and various NIH grant review panels and foundation commissions.

Fogarty, L, Roter, DL, Larson, S, Burke, J, Gillespie J, Levy R. (2002). Patient Adherence to HIV Medication Regimens: A review of published and abstract reports. Patient Education and Counseling. 46:93-108.

Abdel-Tawab, N., Roter DL. (2002). The relevance of client-centered communication to family planning settings in developing countries: lessons from the Egyptian experience. Social Science & Medicine. 54;1347-1368.

Roter DL, Susan Larson. (2002). The Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS): Utility and Flexibility for Analysis of Medical Interactions. Patient Education and Counseling. 46;243-251.

Sala, F., Krupat, E., Roter, D. (2002). Satisfaction and the use of humor by physicians and patients. Psychology and Health, 17 (3), 269-280.

Roter D. (2002). Three blind men and an elephant: Reflections on meeting the challenges of patient diversity in primary care practice. Family Medicine, 34 (5): 390-394.

Hall JA, Horgan TG, Stein TS, Roter DL. (2002). Liking in the Physician-Patient Relationship. Patient Education and Counseling. 48:69-77.

Wissow LS, Roter D, Larson S, Wang MC, Hwang WT, Johnson R (2002). Mechanisms behind the failure of longitudinal primary care to promote disclosure and discussion of psychosocial issues. Archives of Peds & Adol, 156 (7):685-692.

Roter DL, Hall JA, Aoki Y. (2002). Physician gender effects in medical communication: A meta-analytic review. JAMA 288:756-764.

Hall JA, Roter DL. (2002). Do patients talk differently to male and female physicians? A meta-analytic review. Patient Educ Couns 48:217-224.

Wissow LS, Larson S, Roter D, Wang MC, Hwang WT, Luo X, Johnson R, Gielen A, Wilson M, McDonald E. (2003). Longitudinal care lessens differences in mothers' psychosocial talk to pediatricians attributable to ethnic and gender discordance. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157:419-24.

Roter DL. (2003). Observations on Methodological and Measurement Challenges in the Assessment of Communication during Medical Exchanges. Patient Educ Couns 50; 17-21.

Bensing JM, Roter DL, Hulsman RL. (2003). Communication patterns of primary care physicians in the US and The Netherlands. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 18:335-342.

Paasche-Orlow M, Roter D. (2003). The Communication patterns of Internal Medicine and Family Practice Physicians. J Am Board Fam Pract 16:485-493.

Cooper LA, Roter DL, Johnson RL, Ford DE, Steinwachs DM, Powe NR. (2003). Patient-centered communication, ratings of care, and concordance of patient and physician race. Ann Intern Med 139:907-915.

Roter D, Larson S, Shinitzky H, Chernoff R, Serwint, JR, Adamo G, Wissow L. (2004). Use of an innovative video feedback technique to enhance communication skills training. Medical Education. 38:145-157.

Roter DL, Hall JA. (2004). Physician gender and patient-centered communication: A Critical Review of Empirical Research. Annual Review of Public Health 25;497-519.

Roter D. (2004) Patient centered communication: more than a string of words. BMJ USA 4:279-280.

Shaw JR, Adams CL, Bonnett BN, Larson S, Roter DL. (2004). Use of the Roter method of interaction analysis system to analyze veterinarian-client-patient communication in companion animal practice. Journal of American Veterinarian Association 225; 222-229.

Beach MC, Roter D, Rubin H, Frankel R, Levinson W, Ford DE. (2004). Is physician self- disclosure related to patient evaluation of office visits? Journal of General Internal Medicine 19:905-910.

Beach MC, Roter D, Larson S, Levinson W, Ford DE, Frankel R. (2004). What do physicians tell patients about themselves? A qualitative analysis of physician self- disclosure. Journal of General Internal Medicine 19:911-916.

Newes-Adeyi, G, Helitzer DL, Roter D, Caulfield LE. (2004). Improving client-provider communication: Evaluation of a training program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Professionals in New York State. Patient Educ Couns 55; 210-217.

Peck, BM, Ubel PA, Roter DL, Goold SD, Asch DA, Jeffreys AS, Grambow SC, Tulsky JA. (2004). Do unmet expectations for specific tests, referrals, and new medications reduce patients’ satisfaction? Journal of General Internal Medicine 19:1080-1087.

Johnson RL, Roter D, Powe NR, Cooper LA. (2004). Patient race/ethnicity and quality of patient-physician communication during medical visits. American Journal of Public Health 94:2084-2090.

Shaw JR , Bonnet BN , Adams CL , Roter DL. Patterns within Veterinarian-Client-Patient Communication. J Am Vet Med Assoc. Forthcoming.

Shaw JR , Adams CL , Bonnett BN, Larson S, Roter DL . A comparison of veterinarian-client-patient communication in wellness appointments and problem appointments using the Roter Method of Interaction Analysis (RIAS). J Am Vet Med Assoc. Forthcoming

Bernhardt BA, Mastromarino Haunstetter C, Roter D, Geller G. How do obstetric providers discuss referrals for prenatal genetic counseling? Journal of Genetic Counseling. Forthcoming.

Clayman ML, Roter DL, Wissow LS, Bandeen-Roche K. (2005). Autonomy-related behaviors of patient companions and their effect on decision-making activity in geriatric primary care visits. Social Science & Medicine, 60;1583-1591.