The essence of therapeutic relationship between a patient and a physician is effective communication between both sides of the relationship. Communication is not limited to words; it also comprises the whole range of non-verbal communications which are not equivalent to the verbal ones. Usually both kinds of transmission are presented jointly. Also the non verbal communications, like verbal communications, appear in a context which, to a large extent, determines the meaning of the non-verbal communication.

Patient-physician communication includes all elements of communicating act, but they are more formalized, institutionalized, subordinated to achieving a goal, which is determining of health condition and/or setting up of a diagnosis in case of a disease. The contact between patient and physician is made at the moment of their fi rst meeting (therapeutic contact). Therapeutic contact is thus a base for physician-patient communication. It includes the transferred verbal contents and non-verbal signals, demonstrating a momentary mood of the physician and patient, their personality features, maintained schemes of reaction of the patient and physician, emotional colours, physician’s model of work.

The character of patient-physical relationship is infl uenced and modifi ed by: expressed contents, showed feelings and assessments as well as mutual perception of both involved sides. Some physicians that have a longer practice, can defi ne a health problem of a patient by reading the sent non-verbal communications.

Comprehensive discussion on non-verbal communication between patient and physician is extremely diffi cult due to various reasons. Each contact is individualized and different from others but it is subject to moral and social rules and standards. The discussion has been therefore restricted to reviewing of the involvement of a non-verbal physician and non-verbal response of an adult patient during an appointment with primary health physician (family physician) assuming that both sides of the relationship care for personal hygiene and aesthetic outlook.