Effective teaching of communication to health professional undergraduate and postgraduate students: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Review Question/Objective The objective is to identify and assess the effectiveness of tools and methods of teaching communication skills to health professional students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, to facilitate communication in hospitals, nursing homes and mental health institutions. For this review, effective communication will be defined as that which enhances patient satisfaction, safety, symptom resolution, psychological status, or reduces the impact/burden of disease and/or improved communication skills within undergraduate or postgraduate students The review question is: What is the best available evidence on strategies to effectively teach communication skills to undergraduate and postgraduate medical, nursing and allied health students (nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology etc)? Inclusion Criteria Types of participants The review will consider quantitative studies that include any students involved in an undergraduate or post graduate health professional degree program; regardless of degree course or year of study. Types of interventions The review will consider interventions providing communication skills education, relating to patient health and safety within health institutions, to undergraduate and postgraduate health professional students regardless of the type, frequency, duration and timing of the intervention. In comparative studies, they were required to have tested the above review question versus other educational institutions or other methods of communication skills prescription. Types of outcomes - Improved patient outcomes e.g. improved nutritional status due to correct prescription of supplementation - Reduced patient disease burden e.g. shorter consultation times - Improved patient satisfaction e.g. satisfied with students’ listening skills - Improved communication skills in undergraduate and postgraduate students: pre- and post-intervention assessment e.g. improved confidence, improved verbal communication such as providing advice at an appropriate level of understanding Due to the exploratory nature of this review, a better understanding of the outcomes to be measured will come with a more detailed review of the current literature