Improving Assertive Communication Skills in Simulated Medical Encounters

Abstract

Assertive communication is a powerful communication skill in everyday clinical practice among staff members and in doctor-patient encounters. It has an important role in eliciting relevant information during patient interviewing, similarly, in shared decision-making or convincing patients of certain therapy options. The skills are also needed in delegating tasks or giving feedback to colleagues. Through simulated medical encounters, culturally appropriate assertive communication skills can be improved to tackle challenges in hierarchical healthcare contexts. Our comparative study analyses the results of a questionnaire survey of two simulation-based communication courses, where one explicitly aims to use assertive skills in clinical settings while the other implicitly encourages students to defend their opinions in doctor-patient scenarios. Blended-learning methods, support from clinicians and mentors in promoting self-confidence and self-esteem, constructive feedback from both simulated patients and the observers (linguists, psychologists), teamwork skills training and assertive communication techniques were applied to ensure the effectiveness of the courses. The article shares the verbal and non-verbal tools of assertive communication evaluated by the observers, and the self-evaluations of students, which focused on their own behavioural changes in terms of sense of responsibility, sense of failure and navigating between assertiveness and empathy.