https://jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc <center> <p>2019 Universal Impact Factor of <span style="color: #ff0000;">0.46</span></p> </center><center><a href="http://ict4dblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/ict4d-journal-ranking-table/."> University Manchester Ranking: </a> Ranked 7th out of 16 Journals</center><center>Also, available on <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/?term=%22J+Health+Inform+Dev+Ctries%22"> National Library of Medicine </a> Catalog</center><center>JHIDC is an affiliated e-Journal of <a href="https://researchguide.jhidc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research Guide LLC</a></center><center></center><center></center> en-US Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries 1178-4407 Authors retain copyright of the submission while granting the journal the right to publish it in the journal and in print. https://jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc/article/view/528 <p><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> <p>Background: Non-verbal communication (NVC) conveys social cues, influencing trust, satisfaction, and clinical out-comes in patient-physician interactions. It includes elements like eye contact, gestures, and tone. Despite its complexity, NVC plays a critical role in healthcare, necessitating integration into medical education to enhance communication skills and foster effective doctor-patient relationships.</p> <p>Objective: This study evaluates KSMC physicians' non-verbal behavior perception, personal and specialty factors influencing it, and its impact on patient outcomes.</p> <p>Methods: It is a cross-sectional study that included 201 physicians from King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, using a structured questionnaire to assess non-verbal communication skills. Data was analyzed via IBM SPSS 29.0.</p> <p>Results: This study assessed 201 physicians at King Saud Medical City, Riyadh. Participants were predominantly male (n=113, 56.2%) and Saudi (n=145, 72.1%), with most aged 20–30 years old (n=75, 37.3%). Nearly half of physicians were residents (n=89, 44.3%), and the majority had postgraduate education (n=156, 77.6%). Training in communication skills was reported by 133 (66.2%) during undergraduate years and by 100 (49.8%) during postgraduate years. Higher awareness scores were observed among female gender (mean=35.0, p=0.024), non-Saudi (mean=35.3, p=0.035), consultants (mean=35.5, p=0.024), and those trained during undergraduate years (mean=34.8, p=0.021). Listening scores varied significantly by specialty (p=0.032) with nephrologists scoring highest (mean=24.7). Emotional interaction skills were higher among female doctors (mean=20.1, p=0.004). Overall, listening had the highest category score (22.0 ± 2.55, 88%) while emotional interaction scored lowest (19.5 ± 2.74, 78%).</p> <p>Conclusions: This study highlights significant gender, nationality, training, and specialty-based differences in non-verbal communication skills among physicians. Listening skills were the most used, while emotional interaction skills needed improvement, emphasizing the importance of tailored training to enhance communication and patient care outcomes.</p> AbdulRahman Elnasieh Yousef Alomran Mohammed Almesned Atheer Alturki Razan Alhadlaq Faisal Hawaidi Malaz Elnasieh Rawan Alturki Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2026-05-20 2026-05-20 20 01