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OBJECTIVE: We studied physician-patient dyads to determine how physician self-rated Spanish-language ability and cultural competence affect Spanish-speaking patients’ reports of interpersonal processes of care.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Questionnaire study of 116 Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes and 48 primary care physicians (PCPs) at a public hospital with interpreter services.

MEASURES: Primary care physicians rated their Spanish ability on a 5-point scale and cultural competence by rating: 1) their understanding of the health-related cultural beliefs of their Spanish-speaking patients; and 2) their effectiveness with Latino patients, each on a 4-point scale. We assessed patients’ experiences using the interpersonal processes of care (IPC) in diverse populations instrument. Primary care physician responses were dichotomized, as were IPC scale …