Communication Skills Of Medical Students Research Articles

Fostering a Lifelong Learning Approach to Communication Skills in Medical Students

Fostering a Lifelong Learning Approach to Communication Skills in Medical Students

Learner’s perspectives and outcomes of peer role play as a teaching learning method for prescription communication skills in second year medical students at a tertiary teaching hospital in India

Background: Medical education in India is experiencing a positive shift from traditional curriculum to competency-based medical education. Among the different initiatives, inclusion of role-play with specific aim of improving prescription communication skills in the current curriculum, could lead to beneficial patient- response outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the undergraduate medical student’s perspectives on implementing role-play for learning about prescription communication. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the department of pharmacology involving second-year medical students of Vydehi institute of medical science and research centre participating for a month-long duration. An internally validated questionnaire was used to assess students’ perspectives on role-play in prescription communication. The outcome was evaluated based on students’ performance in prescription writing and appropriate communication before and after the role-play session. The data obtained was analysed using the SPSS software. Results: The mean score for the overall benefit of role play for prescription communication for all responding participants (n=163) was 4.2 out of 5. In this study, 89.4% of students agreed that role-play in prescription communication should be an essential aspect of their training in the curriculum and is worth taking this additional effort. 84.6% of students found that, the sessions helped to understand and share the pharmacology concepts better. Mean pre and post role play prescription writing assessment scores in students was 7.59 and 9.01 out of 10 respectively. Conclusions: Role-play was well received by the students as a low-cost innovative teaching methodology for better understanding of Pharmacology concepts as mandated by the CBME curriculum. It helps in understanding the importance of teamwork and error-free prescription communication for future clinical practice. Overall, following appropriate demonstration, use of role-play showed significant improvement in student performance in prescription communication.

Breaking Barriers: The Role of 'Professional English and Communication' Courses in Medical Education

The present paper explores the significant role of effective English communication in enhancing the physician-patient relationship in multicultural healthcare settings. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of a specialized "Professional English and Communication" course on the communication skills of medical students at East-West Teaching University in Tbilisi, Georgia. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study included a quantitative survey and qualitative feedback from a cohort of 11 students, both native and non-native speakers, enrolled in the Medical Doctor One-Cycle Educational Program. During the 13-week course, students engaged in role-plays and discussions based on structured scenarios. Findings indicated the high effectiveness of the course, with students rating it as significantly impactful in improving their professional English and communication skills. Notably, students reported increased engagement and comfort in participating in class activities following the implementation of structured guidelines for role-plays. The study concludes by affirming the value of targeted communication skills training in medical education, particularly through practical activities such as role-plays. Feedback also highlighted the importance of a supportive and inclusive learning environment in promoting engagement and overcoming challenges. These findings have implications for designing similar courses to cater to diverse student populations in the medical field. Further research should explore the long-term impact of such courses on students' professional practices and patient outcomes.

Evaluating clinical communication skills of medical students, assistants, and professors

BackgroundThe skill of communicating with the patient is one of the basic clinical skills and part of the necessary competencies for medical doctors. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and performance (KAP) of medical students, assistants, and professors of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences regarding clinical communication skills with patients.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the hospitals of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The study included a total of 289 participants, consisting of 51 professors, 72 assistants, 90 external staff, and 76 interns who work at these hospitals. The participants were selected through a convenience sampling method. The data-gathering tools used included a questionnaire to collect demographic characteristics, a researcher-made questionnaire to assess knowledge, a communication skills attitude questionnaire, and a communication skills survey questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency, as well as statistical tests that included one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation test. The significance level for the study was considered to be 0.05.ResultsThe mean scores of knowledge of professors were higher compared to other groups (P = 0.002). All participating groups had a positive attitude toward learning communication skills. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the communication performance of the study groups (P < 0.001). There was a positive relationship between positive attitude and communication performance, and a significant negative relationship was observed between negative attitude and communication performance.ConclusionThe results indicate the relatively favorable attitude and performance of the groups and their low knowledge. It is suggested that the doctor-patient communication skills courses be included as one of the necessary courses in the medical education curriculum.

Visual Intelligence Education as a Tool for Enhancing Medical Students' Self-Perception of Communication Skills.

Visual arts-based exposure and training are effective tools to enhance medical education. The visual arts can increase emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills. This study, conducted at Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSoM) and the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, was designed to measure the effect of a visual arts elective course on medical students' self-perception of their communication skills. This 6-week course involved lessons at the NGA and GUSoM for16 second-year medical students. The intervention students were age and gender-matched to14 second-year medical student control participants who took different elective courses. Prior to and following the intervention, the participants completed the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). Statistical analysis was performed with either the 2-sided t-test or 2-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test. There were no statistically significant differences in the presurvey scores between the groups. However, there were 6 CSAS questions in the postsurveys that had statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. Within each group, there were also numerous statistically significant differences between their presurvey and postsurvey responses, with positive changes occurring in the intervention group (IG) and primarily negative changes occurring in the control group (CG). The NGA course improved the self-perception of communication skills, with students reporting stronger views on the importance of communication skills in teamwork and patient rapport. The CG, on the other hand, did not have as many improved perceptions of communication skills and had stronger opinions regarding not needing the ability to communicate well to be a good physician. This study indicates that medical student communication skills can benefit from exposure to visual arts activities and experiences. Future physicians must become effective communicators, and this study paves the way for research investigating the relationship between visual arts education and the development of a physician's communication skills.

Innovative AETCOM session on health care as a right: Experience at the medical college in Puducherry

BACKGROUND: Attitude, Ethics, and Communication (AETCOM) module 2.3 is effective in improving the communication skills of medical students, which in turn will prevent malpractices and litigations against doctors. Module 2.3, ‘Health Care as a Right,’ was aimed at introducing healthcare systems, access, equity in access, the impact of socio-economic situation in determining healthcare access, the role of doctors as key players, and the missing links in the health care systems to students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A teaching and learning activity was developed for MBBS professional year 2 on AETCOM 2.3. The activities planned were an introduction to the topic, a short documentary film using AV aids, role play by the team, group discussion followed by role play by the students, reflective writing, and finally summarizing the session with a take-home message. RESULTS: The number of responses received in reflective writing was 114. The thematic analysis of qualitative responses was grouped into categories The facilitating factors were the availability of trained doctors and round-the-clock services, and the hindering factors were disrespect to patients, professional misconduct, long waiting time, etc. The suggestions to improve communication between the doctor and the patient were to listen politely and develop good rapport. The qualities of a good doctor were good communication skills, empathy, professional conduct, etc. CONCLUSION: This AETCOM session helped the students understand the healthcare delivery system in the country. It changed their attitude toward patients and improved their communication skills as they were soon-to-become doctors.

Validated checklist for assessing communication skills in undergraduate medical students: bridging the gap for effective doctor-patient interactions.

Communication skills are fundamental in healthcare, but assessing them among medical students presents challenges. In the Indian context, the lack of a specific assessment tool further compounds the issue. Thus this study aimed to develop and validate an observation-based communication skills checklist tailored to Phase I Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students. The checklist was developed using both inductive and deductive approaches and underwent rigorous testing to ensure its reliability and validity. After piloting, the finalized version was administered to 84 Phase I MBBS students. Results indicated a critical content validity ratio of 0.78, face validity of 0.80, and an impressive Cronbach's alpha of 0.91, indicating good internal consistency and reliability of the checklist. The students scored over 80% in all checklist domains, except for empathy (73%) and support (74%), highlighting areas for potential improvement. Nonetheless, about 75% of students expressed satisfaction with the checklist's communication skills assessment. The feedback from faculty members was positive, as they found the checklist was easy to use, quick, and effective for evaluating communication skills. Consequently, the checklist's introduction has been well received by both students and faculty. In conclusion, the developed checklist proves to be an effective and valid instrument for assessing communication skills in Phase I MBBS students. By integrating this tool into observed station clinical examinations, medical educators can comprehensively evaluate students' communication behaviors. Moreover, the checklist serves as a valuable resource for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enabling future physicians to excel in doctor-patient interactions, a crucial aspect of patient-centered care.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article presents a highly unique and novel approach by introducing a structured checklist for communication skill assessment in medical students. Its rigorous validation process ensures reliability and effectiveness, while its adaptation to sociocultural norms highlights its relevance and applicability. The user-friendly design with a single-page layout and dichotomous scale further enhances its practicality in objective structured clinical examinations. The developed checklist equips educators with a valuable resource to assess and improve students' communication abilities.

Assessment of Communication Skills of First-Year Medical Students, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University

Assessment of Communication Skills of First-Year Medical Students, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University

Effect of an interventional training programme on communication skills for first-year medical students at Suez University, Egypt

Effect of an interventional training programme on communication skills for first-year medical students at Suez University, Egypt

Exploring the Experiences of Medical Students from Implementing a Peer Program as a Mentor: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Today, peer education programs focus on scientific support, guiding and creating interaction between students has been considered to model students' scientific progress. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of medical students from implementing the peer program as a mentor using a qualitative framework.&#x0D; Methods: The present study is a qualitative study of the type of contractual content analysis with code of ethics IR.NASRME.REC.1400.067. The participants were selected by purposive sampling method with maximum diversity approach, including 30 medical students and 13 peers as mentors from 94 to 1400 entries. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The duration of the interviews was between 45-60 minutes.&#x0D; Result: In total, 24 girls (55.8 percent) and 19 boys (44.2 percent) students participated in this study. From the total interviews conducted, 267 open codes, 5 categories and 2 main themes were extracted. The main topics and classes include "Peer as mentor program; a need-based approach" with the sub-themes of facilitating the learning process, accelerating the achievement of goals and developing communication skills, and "The need to promote the peer as mentor program" with the sub-themes of the need to strengthen the infrastructure and the necessity of reviewing the standards related to the selection of the group leader.&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that the process of the peer training program as a mentor is accompanied by challenges, but it can facilitate, increase theoretical and practical learning, as well as develop the communication skills of medical students.

Improving the communication skills of medical students ——A survey of simulated patient-based learning in Chinese medical universities

BackgroundIt is useful to advance simulated patient (SP) participation in teaching to improve the communication skills of medical students, so this study aims to explore the current state of Chinese mainland SP education.MethodsA cross sectional survey was designed utilizing well defined quantitative research methods and descriptive statistics. The questionnaire sought information which elucidated the current status of SP-based education, the origin of SP-based learning, SP training, challenges of this learning strategy and future developments. Questionnaires were distributed to 79 medical colleges in mainland China, and 68 were returned. Of these, 64 constituted valid responses (81%).ResultsThe number of SP-based education activities in medical colleges offering 5-year、7-year and 8-year clinical medicine programs was significantly higher than that in medical colleges which offered only a single 5-year program (p < 0.01). Communication skills training accounted for 73% of the content of SP-based learning activities, and was expected to rise in the future to 90%, in response to a need to improve doctor-patient relationships. Persons recruited as ‘simulated patients’ included students (21% of the total), residents (49%), medical staff (15%) and teaching staff (14%).Colleges, planning a SP-based education program, preferred teachers (80%) and students (55%) to assume ‘simulated patient’ roles. In objective structured clinical education (OSCE) scenarios, co-scoring by both SPs and teachers featured more highly in the ‘consultation’ station and ‘doctor-patient communication’ station. A number of factors were identified as hindering future development and implementation of SP-based learning including budget restraints, SP selection and training.ConclusionsSP-based learning programs offer clear benefits for improving the clinical education of medical students and their communication skills. The main obstacles to achieving more widespread and higher quality SP-based education are insufficient funding and the lack of standardized training and performance evaluation processes for simulated patients. Medical colleges should consider reducing the proportion of students and teachers acting as SPs, and attract more citizens to participate in SP-based learning activities. Formalised training and evaluation of SPs performance are necessary to establish a ‘standard simulated patient’ for a particular medical discipline, thus improving SP-based activities and student learning.

Социокультурная идентичность кыргызского народа в контексте толерантности

The requirement of the federal state educational standard (FSES 3++) for the formation of communicative competence of medical students actualizes the task of developing effective tools for its assessment at the present stage of development of medical education. The aim of the study is to study methodological approaches in foreign practice to assessing the communication skills of medical students for the subsequent development of consistent tools for assessing communicative competence in medical educational organizations of the Russian Federation. Material and methods. To search foreign literature in an electronic database in English (PubMed), the following keywords were identified: assessment tools, communication skills, medical school, medicine, communication models in medicine, medical students. Inclusion criteria: the age of authentic sources should not exceed the last 20 years and the presence in the database of access to full-text articles. In accordance with the specified criteria, 10 publications were selected and analyzed, which present the results of studies that reflect methodological approaches to the assessment of communication skills in the foreign practice of medical education. Results. Various models and methods are used to assess communication skills in the foreign medical community. They are differing significantly in content, psychometric properties and ease of use. According to the study, the Kalamazoo Communication and Communication Skills Assessment (KCS) model, the methodological basis of which is a patient-centered approach, has the highest scores for these indicators. According to experts, the KCS criteria are a reliable basis for guidance on the choice of tools for assessing the communicative competence of students at all levels of medical education. Conclusion. The development of reliable and valid assessment tools for assessing the communicative competence of future doctors in Russian medical education is possible, taking into account the best world practices, subject to the justification and agreement in the professional community of the list of the main elements of the doctor’s communication, criteria for their assessment, measurement scales, their design and focus, as well as compliance with the requirements of practicality and ease of use.

Impact Of Communication Skills Training in Postgraduate Medical Education

Background: Effective communication is a key feature of optimal doctor-patient relationship. As the postgraduate curriculum lacks standardized teaching and assessment, this study aimed to assess effectiveness of training program on communication skills of postgraduate medical students. Materials and methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted among first year postgraduate medical students from different clinical specialty. Training program included introduction to principles of communication with basics of doctor-patient relationship, administering informed consent, breaking bad news and counselling patients with HIV/cancer. Pre-test and post-test skill assessment by Faculty and postgraduate (PG) self-rating was carried out using KEECC-A Assessment tool for seven core communication competencies. Perception of students on training program was collected via feedback questionnaire. Results: Forty-three postgraduate medical students participated. Statistically significant increase in communication skills scores post training was observed with mean post-test assessment scores of 24.26±2.94, p&lt;0.001(faculty rating), 25.19±3.76, p&lt;0.001(PG self-rating) and high degree of internal consistency was found. Students perceived the training program as valuable and highlighted its importance as a part of curriculum. Conclusion: Training program significantly enhanced communication skills of postgraduate medical students. Integration of standardized teaching and assessment of communication skills is essential for better healthcare practice and optimal doctor-patient relationship.

A scoping review: virtual patients for communication skills in medical undergraduates

BackgroundCommunication is an essential competence for medical students. Virtual patients (VP), computerized educational tools where users take the role of doctor, are increasingly used. Despite the wide range of VP utilization, evidence-based practical guidance on supporting development of communication skills for medical students remains unclear. We focused this scoping review on VP affordance for student learning especially important in the current environment of constrained patient access.MethodsThis scoping review followed Arksey & O’Malley’s methodology. We tested and used a search strategy involving six databases, resulting in 5,262 citations. Two reviewers independently screened titles, full texts (n= 158) and finally performed data extraction on fifty-five included articles. To support consideration of educational affordance the authors employed a pragmatic framework (derived from activity theory) to map included studies on VP structure, curricular alignment, mediation of VP activity, and socio-cultural context.ResultsFindings suggest that not only the VP itself, but also its contextualization and associated curricular activities influence outcomes. The VP was trialled in the highest proportion of papers as a one-off intervention (19 studies), for an average duration of 44.9 minutes (range 10-120min), mainly in senior medical students (n=23), notably the largest group of studies did not have VP activities with explicit curricular integration (47%). There was relatively little repeated practice, low levels of feedback, self-reflection, and assessment. Students viewed VPs overall, citing authenticity and ease of use as important features. Resource implications are often omitted, and costings would facilitate a more complete understanding of implications of VP use.ConclusionStudents should be provided with maximal opportunity to draw out the VPs’ full potential through repeated practice, without time-constraint and with curricular alignment. Feedback delivery enabling reflection and mastery is also key. The authors recommend educators to explicitly balance computerized authenticity with instructional design integrated within the curriculum.

The Evaluation of Empathy and Communication Skills in Medical Students: A Descriptive Study

Empati ve iletişim, hasta-hekim ilişkisinde önemli bir faktör olup klinisyenler için temel mesleki özellikler olarak kabul edilir ve tıbbi uygulamalar üzerinde olumlu etkileri vardır. Bu nedenle tıp öğrencilerinde empatinin ve iletişim becerilerinin değerlendirilmesi tıp eğitimi için önemlidir. Çalışmanın amacı tıp fakültesi ilk ve son sınıf öğrencilerinin empati ile iletişim beceri düzeylerini değerlendirmek, etkileyen faktörleri belirlemektir. Bu tanımlayıcı çalışmada tıp fakültesi 1. ve 6. sınıf öğrencilerine sosyodemografik bilgi formu, İletişim Becerileri Envanteri (İBE) ile Jefferson Doktor Empati Ölçeği-Öğrenci Versiyonunu (JSPE-S) içeren bir anket formu uygulandı. Çalışmaya katılan 294 öğrencinin yaş ortalaması 20,93±3,01 (17-30) yıldı. Katılımcıların %58,2’si (n=171) birinci sınıfta ve %66,3’ü (n=195) kadın cinsiyetteydi. Sırasıyla JSPE-S ve İBE puan ortalaması 106,04±14,19 ve 159,47±14,74 puan olarak bulundu. Kadınların iletişim beceri ve JSPE-S puanı, erkek öğrencilerin iletişim beceri ve JSPE-S puanından anlamlı olarak yüksekti (p=0,003; p=0,012). İlk ve son sınıf öğrencilerin iletişim beceri puanları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmazken (p=0,953), 1. sınıf öğrencilerinin JSPE-S puanı, son sınıf öğrencilerinin puanından anlamlı olarak yüksekti (p

Medical Spanish Endocrinology Educational Module.

IntroductionHispanic/Latinx patients experience health disparities in endocrine disease, such as higher rates of mortality due to diabetes mellitus, worse outcomes in the surgical treatment of thyroid cancer, and lack of knowledge about bone health and osteoporotic fracture prevention. Educational strategies to teach cultural and linguistic medical Spanish knowledge to medical students have the potential to improve Hispanic/Latinx endocrine health.MethodsWe created an 8-hour medical Spanish endocrine module targeting language and cultural skills acquisition. Specifically, students practiced obtaining a past medical history, obtaining a medications history, providing and explaining a diagnosis, explaining discharge instructions, and discussing sociocultural aspects of endocrine health. We divided the module into four 2-hour sessions: (1) preclass self-study, (2) class period, (3) role-play/interviewing practice session, and (4) case/cultural activity assignment. Participants completed a pre- and postassessment to measure student confidence level and knowledge.ResultsWe implemented the module four times at one medical school, with 47 fourth-year medical students with intermediate or higher general Spanish skills. Confidence increased for all learners in the endocrine-focused interview and exam in Spanish. Heritage Spanish learners, who were exposed to Spanish at home as children, reported higher postmodule confidence in eliciting the past medical history of endocrine problems.DiscussionThe medical Spanish endocrine module improved the communication skills of medical students with intermediate through advanced Spanish proficiency. Future study should evaluate learner clinical performance metrics and applications to other groups of learners, such as resident physicians or health professions involved in the care of patients with endocrine disease.

Diş Hekimliği ve Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin İletişim Becerilerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the communication skills of dentistry and medical faculty students.Methods: This study was conducted with senior students (n = 240) attending Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine and 4th and 5th grade (n = 123) students attending the Faculty of Dentistry in the 2018-2019 academic year. The independent variables of the study were determined as the faculty of education, gender and the perception of income level. To evaluate the communication skills of the participants, the Communication Skills Inventory (IBE) developed by Ersanlı and Balcı was used. The scale consists of three sub-dimensions: cognitive, affective and behavioral. As each sub-dimension can be evaluated separately, the general communication skill level of the individual can be determined by the total score obtained from the scale.Results: Medical students scored higher than dentistry students in Communication Skills Inventory with all sub-dimensions (p &amp;lt;0.001). When the total score obtained from IBE was examined, it was found that the total scores of the female participants were significantly higher than the men (dentistry faculty p = 0.04, medical faculty p = 0.02). There was no significant effect of the perception of income level on the total score obtained from IBE. When the sub-dimension scores relevant to income level were examined, a significant difference was found in both faculties in the behavioral dimension. However, according to the differences determined, while high income in dentistry students decreased the behavioral dimension scores (p = 0.03), it increased it in medical students (p = 0.04).Conclusions: It is thought that the high level of communication skills of medical students depends on the structured and applied training they receive. In line with these results, it is deemed necessary to develop a structured training program for the Faculty of Dentistry to achieve its communication skills goals.

A return-on-investment analysis of impacts on James Cook University medical students and rural workforce resulting from participation in extended rural placements.

Although all medical students at James Cook University (JCU), Queensland, Australia, undertake rural placements throughout their course, a proportion (currently about 20 per year out of 170-190 final-year students) undertake extended rural placements in rural and remote towns - 5-month Integrated Rural Placement (IRP) or 10-month Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) programs. This study uses a return-on-investment (ROI) approach to quantify student and rural medical workforce benefits arising from these 'extended placements' between 2012 and 2018. Seventy-two JCU MBBS graduates participated in extended rural placements between 2012 and 2018. In 2019, 46 of these graduates who had reached at least postgraduate year 2 and provided consent to be contacted for health workforce research were emailed a link to an online survey. Questions explored the key benefits to students' development of competencies and to rural medical workforce as a direct result of student participation in the IRP/LIC activities, as well as estimations of costs to students, deadweight (how much change would have occurred without participating in an extended placement), and attribution (how much change was due to other programs or experiences). The key student and rural medical workforce benefits were each assigned a 'financial proxy' to allow calculation of ROI from 2013 to 2019 as a dollar value, compared with the costs to students and to the JCU medical school from implementing the IRP/LIC programs between 2012 and 2018. Twenty-five of the 46 JCU medical graduates who undertook an extended placement responded (response rate 54%), reporting that the most common (96%) and most important benefit (56%) from their extended placement was 'greater depth and breadth of clinical skills'. Seventy-five percent (18/24; one missing response for this question) of the respondents also reported intending to have a full-time career in rural and remote practice. The overall cost of undertaking an IRP or LIC program for students between 2012 and 2018 was calculated to be $60,264, while the cost to the JCU medical school for sending 72 students out on extended rural placements was calculated as $32,560, giving total costs of $92,824. Given the total value of benefits ($705,827) calculated for the key student benefit of increased clinical skills and confidence in the internship year from participating in an extended placement ($32,197) and for the key rural medical workforce benefit of willingness to work in a rural or remote town ($673,630), the ROI from the extended rural programs between 2013 and 2019 (after students graduated and entered the workforce) is calculated at $7.60 for every dollar spent. This study confirms that undertaking an extended placement has significant positive impacts on final-year medical students' clinical confidence, clinical skills and communication skills into their internship year. In addition, the extended placements have longer-term impacts on the non-metropolitan health workforce by inspiring more JCU medical graduates to take up rural generalist, rural general practitioner or generalist specialist positions in rural and remote towns. This positive ROI from extended rural placements is important evidence for shifting the conversation around supporting these programs from one of cost to one of value.

Teaching patient-centred communication skills during clinical procedural skill training - a preliminary pre-post study comparing international and local medical students

BackgroundInternational medical students are frequently confronted with intercultural, psychosocial, and language barriers and often receive lower marks in written, oral, and clinical-practical examinations than fellow local students. Training communication competence in procedural skills, such as blood sampling, is further challenge in this particular group of medical students. This pre-post comparative intervention study aimed to investigate the effects of training communication skills during the performance of procedural skills (taking blood samples from a silicone model) in international and local students as part of their clinical practical medical training.MethodsStudy participants performed blood sampling on an arm prosthesis model (part-task trainer) before and after the communication skills training, focusing on accompanying communication with a simulation patient sitting next to the arm model. The pre- and post-evaluation video was assessed by two independent evaluators using a binary checklist, the Integrated Procedural Performance Instrument (IPPI) and global assessments of clinical professionalism in terms of procedural and communication performance. Linear models with mixed effects were used. Group differences regarding global competence levels were analysed with χ2-tests.ResultsInternational medical students did not perform as well as their local counterparts in the pre- and post-examinations. Both groups improved their performance significantly, whereby the international students improved more than their local counterparts in terms of their communication performance, assessed via binary checklist. Clinical professionalism evaluated via global assessments of procedural and communication performance highlights the intervention’s impact insofar as no international student was assessed as clinically not competent after the training.ConclusionsOur results suggest that already a low-dose intervention can lead to improved communication skills in medical students performing procedural tasks and significantly increase their confidence in patient interaction.

What do children think about doctors' communication at the Teddy Bear Hospital?

Excellent communication is essential for health professionals working with children. Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) is an innovative method of developing paediatric communication skills in health-care students. By exploring the child's perspective of medical students' communication at the TBH, we sought to better understand the role TBH plays in the development of the communication skills in medical students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 children, aged 3-8 years old, who were attending a TBH run by third year medical students at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. These interviews were recorded and transcribed after which themes were generated by inductive content analysis using the programme NVivo 12. Children used mostly positive language when describing interactions with teddy doctors. However, almost half of the children could not recall the medical students explaining why their teddy was sick or how their teddy would get better. Furthermore, many teddies returned from TBH with medical issues different to their initial presentation. The communication described at TBH was overwhelmingly positive with children describing little difference between medical students and actual doctors. However, the mismatch in teddy medical issues before and after a visit to TBH along with the lack of understanding on teddy health management plans, suggests the need for further evidence-based training in communication skills for medical students to improve their ability to communicate with very young children.