A study on effect of training communication skills on knowledge and attitudes of family phy-sicians and patients satisfaction

Abstract

How the physician communicates with patient plays a major role in patient satisfaction, consequences of treatment, psycho- logical effects, medical costs, clinical competence of physicians, and even complaints about physicians. The present re- search is an interventional study, which has been conducted to investigate effect of training communication skills on knowledge and attitudes of family physicians and patients' satisfaction. Sample group consists of 80 individuals among fami- ly physicians and patients. Physicians were chosen randomly, and divided into two intervention and control groups. By using questionnaire, knowledge and attitudes of family physicians and patients' satisfaction in both intervention and control groups were measured. Then, intervention group was attended in educational workshop of communication skills. After two months training, knowledge and attitudes of family and patients' satisfaction were remeasured. The results of tests with using t-tests via SPSS software were analyzed, and mentioned significant (p˂0.05). There was no significant difference on average scores of knowledge and attitudes of family physicians and patients' satisfaction in intervention and control groups before in- volvement of educational workshop. After intervention, there was a significant difference between intervention and control groups. Patients were more satisfied with female, less-experienced and young physicians. The results of this study indicated that training communication skills can have a significant effect on knowledge and attitudes of family physicians and pa- tients' satisfaction. According to important role of patient-physician communication skills, necessity of developing education for patient-physician communication skills is confirmed in curriculum of Iranian medical students.