Effects of Brief Communication Skills Training Workshop on Improving Workers' Communication Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of communication skills training (CST) on improving communication behaviors of employees, we conducted a randomized controlled trial. Methods: We randomly divided 128 white-collar workers to either a CST intervention group (n=64) or a nonintervention control group (n=64). The three-hour CST session was conducted by an occupational physician. A Likert scale was used to assess four aspects of communication behavior: conversing so as not to put pressure on the subject, displaying empathy and support, helping the subject sort out problems, and thinking together to solve problems. Communication behavior scores were compared between the intervention and control groups three months after training. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses using mixed effect models showed a significant interaction between group and time (p=0.045) for all participants for