Importance Of Communication Skills Research Articles

Socioeconomic Status and Child Developmental Delay: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Children with developmental delays are at higher risk of poor health, and lower educational attainment and wellbeing than the normal ones. Objectives: As previous studies had contradictory results regarding the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and child development, the current study aimed at determining this association at the age of 60 months. Methods: The current prospective cohort study was conducted in Shiraz, Iran, from summer 2011 to the end of 2016. The study was conducted on 640 mothers registered in the Fars Birth Cohort study. A checklist comprised of social and economic parts was employed. The children’s communication development was also assessed using the ages and stages questionnaire for 60-month-old children. In addition, SES was determined using 25 variables. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 19.0 and partitioning around medoid (PAM) clustering in R 3.5.0 software; P value < 0.05 was considered as the level of significance. Results: The majority of the subjects (79.1%) were categorized as the moderate level of SES; 106 (16.56%) children had a delay in at least one developmental domain. The current study results showed that the education level of parents and the occupational status of mothers were significantly associated with delayed communication skills in children (P < 0.05). Delay in communication skills was significantly more prevalent among children whose parents had a low education level (P < 0.05). After controlling other confounders, the relative risk of delay in communication skills was 3.7 times higher among children in the moderate level of SES and almost 10 times higher among the ones in the low level of SES. Conclusions: Children brought up in families with low SES had the highest level of delay in communication skills, followed by the ones in families with moderate SES. Considering the importance of communication skills in children socialization, more attention should be paid to SES of the families with preschool kids. It seems quite reasonable if health policymakers put more emphasis on the communication skills of preschool children.

Disclosing HIV-Positive Status: What Do Questions Have to Do with It?

This article discussed the need to ask questions among people living with HIV to facilitate disclosure. This is because disclosure of a HIV-positive status is an important tool for prevention of HIV and early treatment, many people who know their status do not disclose to their spouse or sexual partners. Disclosure would not only protect the spouse from risk of infection and if already infected be able to access treatment, support and care but also promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy. The paper looked at questioning as an important communication skill that can facilitate disclosure. This paper is based on a larger qualitative study that investigated the factors influencing disclosure of HIV-positive status to spouses among people living with HIV in Kirinyaga County in Kenya. Data was collected using semistructured In-Depth Interviews. The paper argued that questions play a crucial role in disclosure of a HIV-positive status in accessing information which would otherwise be unavailable about the HIV-positive status of their spouses and suggests incorporation of communication skills on questioning and disclosure at the comprehensive care Centre services.
 Key Words: HIV disclosure, person living with HIV, questioning, spouses, psychological safety

Rafting Together with Lipids ‐ Team Teaching & Active Learning

Effective oral and written communication skills are key assets for success in and outside of academia. However, students completing undergraduate degrees are often not equipped with these skills. Among the challenges that contribute to this problem is the lack of interest by teachers to conduct in‐class activities that provide students the opportunities to nurture these skills. It can be very time consuming for a single instructor to construct and implement multiple active learning activities, designed to encourage and give students the chance to develop these important communication skills. Additionally, the traditional lecture format hinders development of higher Bloom’s Taxonomy skills and limits opportunities for engagement.In order to overcome this problem, we joined forces with Biochemistry professor, Vanina Zaremberg at the University of Calgary to execute active learning techniques in a fourth year Lipid Biochemistry course. Having multiple instructors allowed us to implement three in‐class activities: construction of concept maps, debate, and guided writing assignment, thoughtfully designed to give students the opportunity to learn and utilize communication and writing skills. Anonymous surveys were conducted following completion of these activities, giving us valuable feedback. The first activity was centered around building concept maps and was designed to tackle the challenge of the varying background knowledge of the students at the beginning of the semester. In short, students drew a concept map on the very first and last day of classes, which not only allowed the instructors to see what information they were bringing into the course, but also allowed the students to connect and organize their knowledge in a thoughtful manner. Rich discussion among instructors on these maps helped to develop lesson plans and outline lesson outcomes. The concept maps conceived on the last day of classes gave an explicit visual of what the students learned throughout the semester. The second activity, the in‐class debate on lipid rafts, allowed students to openly discuss and learn about a key controversial topic in Lipid Biochemistry in a unique way and without the pressure of a typical quiz or assignment. Surprisingly for the instructors, the debate took up the entire 75‐minute lecture. One hundred percent of the responses answered that the debate was an effective way to learn about the topic and students enjoyed learning from their peers. Finally, a guided writing assignment was executed, as it has been reported that students lack experience critiquing published work or a peer’s writing. The writing assignment gave students the opportunity to exercise and develop communication and writing skills while participating in a guided peer‐review process. 79% of the class reported that this was the first time they did a peer‐review exercise, even though most were in their final semester of their undergraduate degree.Overall, the feedback gathered from the survey indicated that students were involved, more confident in the topics, and enjoyed these activities more than typical lectures, suggesting that team teaching enhances student experience and engagement.

Factors associated with Empathy in Patients with Schizophrenia in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Centers

Purpose: Empathy is the most important communication skill, and patients with schizophrenia in recovery should be taught empathy for vocational rehabilitation and social life. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting empathy, as well as motivation-pleasure and social anhedonia, in patients with schizophrenia in psychiatric rehabilitation. Methods: This study followed a descriptive design using a cross-sectional survey to assess the empathy, social anhedonia, and motivation-pleasure levels of patients with schizophrenia. The participants were 118 patients with schizophrenia from five mental health rehabilitation centers in South Korea. Results: The results of this study show a high correlation among empathy, motivation-pleasure, and social anhedonia. The variables affecting empathy were age, motivation-pleasure, and social anhedonia, and the explanatory power of the variables was 32.6%. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that improving communication skills and negative symptoms will contribute positively to patients’ social lives and vocational rehabilitation.

Smiling and use of first-name by a healthcare receptionist robot: Effects on user perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours

AbstractRobots are now starting to be developed and used as receptionists in health applications. In this regard, it is important that robots’ behavioural skills are developed and researched so that people have appropriate and comfortable interactions. Smiling and use of first name are two more important social communication skills used during human interactions. While smiling and use of first name are often employed by robots in human interactions, the effect of these behaviours on perceptions of receptionist robots has not yet been experimentally investigated. This study explored the effects of robot smiling and robot use of the participant’s first name on perceptions of robot friendliness, mind, and personality, as well as attitudes and smiling behaviour. Forty participants interacted with a medical receptionist robot four times, in a two by two repeated measures design. Both smiling and use of first name had significant positive effects on participants’ perceptions of robot personality. Robot smiling also showed significant effects on participants’ overall attitudes towards robots, ratings of robot friendliness, and perceptions of the robot’s mind, and increased the frequency of participants’ own smiling. There were no significant interaction effects. Robot smiling in particular can enhance user perceptions of robots and increase reciprocal smiling.

First Experimental Study in Turkey Teaches Veterinary Students How to Break Bad News.

The importance of communication skills in veterinary medicine has been increasing for a long time. The aim of this article is to investigate how theoretical training, role-playing, and standardized/simulated client (SC) methods improve senior (fifth-year) veterinary students' skills in breaking bad news. The study was carried out with 67 volunteer senior students. The research was designed from a pre-test and post-test control group pattern. All students encountered the SC. After pre-tests, theoretical training was given to Experimental Group A (EGA) and Experimental Group B (EGB). Then, only the students in EGA role-played together. Each student completed a checklist consisting of 10 basic items after pre-tests and post-tests. After post-tests, focus group interviews with open-ended questions were conducted. In the pairwise comparisons, EGA's and EGB's adjusted post-test mean scores were significantly higher than the control group's (p < .001). EGA's and EGB's post-test scores were found to be significantly higher than their pre-test scores. Women's empathy and eye contact scores were found to be statistically higher than men's scores. This study is the first of its kind in Turkey to use SCs and peer-to-peer learning with role-play simulations in training students about breaking bad news in veterinary medicine. These findings show that theoretical training and role-playing has an impact on senior veterinary students' skills in breaking bad news.

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The Role of Empathy in Health and Social Care Professionals.

The current article is an integrative and analytical literature review on the concept and meaning of empathy in health and social care professionals. Empathy, i.e., the ability to understand the personal experience of the patient without bonding with them, constitutes an important communication skill for a health professional, one that includes three dimensions: the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. It has been proven that health professionals with high levels of empathy operate more efficiently as to the fulfillment of their role in eliciting therapeutic change. The empathetic professional comprehends the needs of the health care users, as the latter feel safe to express the thoughts and problems that concern them. Although the importance of empathy is undeniable, a significantly high percentage of health professionals seem to find it difficult to adopt a model of empathetic communication in their everyday practice. Some of the factors that negatively influence the development of empathy are the high number of patients that professionals have to manage, the lack of adequate time, the focus on therapy within the existing academic culture, but also the lack of education in empathy. Developing empathetic skills should not only be the underlying objective in the teaching process of health and social care undergraduate students, but also the subject of the lifelong and continuous education of professionals.

Physiotherapy Student's Perceptions of the Ideal Clinical Educator

Background The skills and qualities of the clinical educator are clearly embedded within the literature. The interactions between the educator and student throughout the placement journey are an important component of the student’s experience. Although clinical educator roles and interactions with students have been studied in physiotherapy, determining the perceived ideal clinical educator through the lens of the student remained under analysed. The aim of this study was to explore physiotherapy student’s perceptions of the ideal clinical educator. Method The study involved 16 physiotherapy final year students using two focus groups. An inductive approach using thematic analysis was employed to gain data rich cases. Results The results revealed 3 main themes, which were educator role, placement experiences and ideal clinical educator. The importance of communication skills, knowledge and being approachable were central to the students perceived ideal clinical educator. Paradoxically, it is not a mandatory requirement for physiotherapists to undertake practice education training, therefore the study revealed that pedagogical practices were not being employed consistently such as structured feedback and methods of assessment. Discussion This study highlighted the importance of providing clinical educators with the relevant pedagogical theory to ensure that the approach in which students are mentored through their placements are more consistent. Equipping clinical educators with the underlying principles of teaching and learning strategies may improve student self-efficacy, rapport and the learning experience. Conclusion Future research examining the link universities have with their local placement providers may help bridge the knowledge gaps of physiotherapists who are not formally trained in practice education as opposed to having to attend out of work conventional practice educator courses. In addition curriculum consideration in relation to how students are prepared for placements e.g. resilience strategies may help reduce negative learning experiences

Communication au service de l'autodétermination et de la participation citoyenne

As a result of the revolutionary moves of recent decades that have challenged special education, more and more people with disabilities are expected to take control of their own lives and to play an active role in the lif e of the community. These behaviours involve complex and multiple skills, such as, for example, the ability to express oneself clearly, to argue one's opinions, to listen and to question oneself, to manage differences of opinion. These are important communication skills that require special educational attention, especially when the learner is confronted with cognitive and/or communication difficulties. This article presents research with very promising results that provide suggestions on how this work can be best supported on a daily basis.

Methodological Aspects of the Use of Software in the Teaching of Engineering Disciplines: Tasks, Problems and Prospects

The main directions of improving training that can be achieved as part of the introduction of new software in the teaching of engineering disciplines are considered. The necessity of ensuring the continuity of training within the framework of a unified concept of using software tools is noted. The analysis of needs in the formation of new competencies based on the results of a survey of graduate students of BMSTU, and the views of employers, which showed the closeness of the representations of students, teachers and employers. It is noted that the developed software application technologies should guarantee their inextricable link. New approaches to the teaching of engineering disciplines based on computer modeling, which are used in world practice, are considered. Trends in the application of modeling technologies, including the use of integrated software products, are noted. The main modern trends are active training and teamwork, group training. These computer technologies have taken the project approach to learning to a new stage. New software products allow not only the formation of special competencies, but also provide the opportunity to acquire important communication skills. New opportunities for student motivation are opening up. Access to an open electronic educational environment, including open packages of applied engineering design programs allows you to create self-education skills, without which it is impossible for an engineer to work in rapidly changing conditions. The active role of the teacher in effective and competent self-education is noted.

Attitude toward Dental Health and Treatment in Patients with Medical and Non-Medical Education

The article discusses the differences in attitudes towards dental health among persons with and without medical education. The authors described the criteria for assessing the quality of dental care, the preferred quality of a dentist and causes dental phobia in the adult population, as well as highlighted ways to improve compliance and reduce fear and anxiety before visiting the dentist. A total of 88 apparently healthy respondents who do not pass dental treatment at the time of the study (52 women and 36 men) took part in the study (the average age is 32 ± 12.5 years). The following techniques were used: (1) the survey Attitude to Health by R.A. Berezovskaya for assessing the respondents’ attitude to their own health (emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and valuemotivational scales); (2) the Life Quality Scale by N.E. Vodopianova for the assessment of the general life quality index and the self-assessment of the respondents life quality in such categories as: work, personal achievements, health, communication with relatives, support, optimism, tension, self-control, negative emotions; (3) the questionnaire Attitude to dental health developed for research at the Department of General and Clinical Psychology of Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University. Key research findings is: (1) most patients prefer an empathic-non-prescriptive type of dentist; (2) for most patients are important professional and communication skills of the dentist; (3) there are differences in attitudes towards dental health in patients with and without medical education.

Development of communication competency for civil engineering students

This study is specifically aimed at: (i) assessing the communication competencies of engineering students; (ii) identifying important communication skills needed for engineering students; and (iii) ensuring the types of effective teaching and learning activities to develop communication skills of engineering students. The implementation of the study refers to this quantitative-descriptive approach presenting a survey which includes the main activities, namely literature study, primary data collection and analyse, conclusions and recommendations formulation. Analysis is carried out based on information obtained from respondents. Furthermore, data processing is done by using descriptive methods that provide simple and understandable data presentation for the reader by describing or giving information about a data or situation or phenomenon. The survey findings indicate the adequacy of communication training from a curriculum that integrates communication in various core civil engineering courses. The results of the study also showed that team work and oral presentations were the most important factors for civil engineering students and for their future career development. They also place the greatest emphasis on teaching and learning activities that aim to prepare them to take part in the industrial world later.

Health Communication needs of health professionals in Europe – the H-COM cross sectional study

Abstract Background Effective communication between Health Professionals (HP) and patients is crucial for the overall functioning of the healthcare system with positive impacts on readmission rates, treatment outcomes, adherence and costs. However, health communication training is limited especially during medical training. In the framework of the EU H-COM project an exploration of health communication needs and gaps and preferred training methods was performed among HP. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 702 health professionals (Physicians: n = 315; Nurses: n = 258; Other: n = 129) through a purpose made questionnaire available in English, Greek, Polish, Spanish and German. Results Health communication training is considered necessary for physicians (89.8%) and nurses (89.7%), although 42.4% of them never received relevant training in the past. Professional status (p &amp;lt; 0.001), age (p = 0.079), gender (p = 0.090) and years of experience (p = 0.012) affected the likelihood of not having received such training, with physicians, HPs aged 45-54 years old, males and those having 6-10 years of experience being most in need. At least 50.0% reported encountering problems in communicating with their patients and facing several barriers either in primary health care settings and hospitals or in private practice. The ability to listen and answer patients, deliver bad news and obtain medical history were the most important communication skills identified, while the most suitable training method was learning relevant practical skills. The availability of such trainings is reported as being fair or poor at all educational levels by the majority. Conclusions Health communication training is considered important although currently not available to the extent needed. This research provides evidence concerning the preferred type, frequency and mode of health communication training providing also insight on differences between various HPs. Key messages Health communication training is crucial but inadequate in Europe. There are specific training needs and preferences among HP which need to be considered. Health communication training needs to be adapted and tailored to professionals’ age, experience and status.

Applying Conflict Management Strategies to the Pediatric Operating Room.

Effective communication is essential in today's health care environment, and poor communication can lead to conflict among health care providers. Differences in cultures and beliefs can further incite conflict among health care team members, families, and patients. Pediatric patient care has a higher potential for conflict because decision-making responsibilities are shared among patients, parents/guardians, and clinicians. It is important to understand the phases and types of conflict because each conflict situation requires a different approach to optimize management. Equally important is an understanding of styles used by individuals to manage conflict. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and the Dutch Test for Conflict Handling are 2 validated tools used to assess conflict management styles. The different styles include competing/forcing, collaborating/problem solving, compromising, avoiding, and yielding/accommodating. A successful physician should be able to identify the phases and types of conflict to use the conflict management approach most suitable for the given conflict.There are several techniques for managing conflict in the pediatric operating room. Acknowledging and managing one's own emotions during conflict is a pivotal first step toward diffusing the situation. Active listening is an important communication skill that improves team dynamics. Aligning the interests of the parties involved in conflict will encourage collaborative problem solving. Cultural competency training can improve communication and conflict management skills. Effective conflict management through formal education of all perioperative team members can lead to improved communication and teamwork and better patient outcomes.

Move Together, Communicate Together: Supporting Preschoolers’ Communication Skills Through Physical Activities

During the preschool years, children develop several inter-related skills including motor skills and communication skills. In this article, we highlight several communication teaching strategies and describe how practitioners can promote communication skills of preschoolers with disabilities by providing them with multiple opportunities to practice these skills during motor activities. The following strategies are described: arrange the physical environment, model motor vocabulary, ask motor related questions, use a fill in the blank strategy, and reinforce/prompt child communication. The use of these strategies during large and small group motor activities is illustrated with vignettes. We present strategies for creating an engaging environment and providing meaningful opportunities so that children can learn important communication skills while also developing critical motor skills.

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN 21st CENTURY ELECTRIC ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Problem. Communication skills are an essential component in the education of engineering students to facilitate not just students’ education but also to prepare them for their future careers. Various important communication skills required of modern engineers, such as foreign language skills, are discussed in this article, as well as multiple elements of communication skills training, such as oral, listening, written, visual, interdisciplinary and intercultural. The impact of emotional intelligence is also presented. Goal. The goal of the article is proving the idea that the classes of foreign language can be a combination of learning language and acquiring communication skills. Methodology. Methods of analysis, research and development of new solution were used. Results. In the result of the analysis it was proven that classes of English can develop not only the language skills but add to the overall development of personality, as well as enhance various kinds of communication skills necessary for the graduate of engineering (in particular, electrical engineering) specialties. Originality. Suggestions for communication skills development are made, including the one that communication skills be integrated in the curriculum, so as to reinforce student learning. Practical Value. The practical value of the work can be the ideas for improving communication tasks as well as development of the approach which includes both language learning and integration of engineering communication in the process of learning.Key words: communication; abilities; behavior; society; knowledge; international

The importance of communication skills required to reduce set-up errors in the radiotherapy planning phase

AbstractDuring the planning computed tomography (CT) scan, patients experience the position and any immobilisation technique required for radiotherapy.Patient’s stress and anxiety can cause muscle tension that can introduce systematic set-up errors if not recognised and corrected.We discuss two clinical cases that highlight the importance of time dedicated to communication and revision of the first CT acquisition during a virtual simulation procedure.

Relationship between communication skills and emotional intelligence among nurses.

Nurses' emotional intelligence (EI) affects many of their behavioural skills. Given the importance of communication skills, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between EI and the communication skills of emergency department nurses. 253 nurses working in five hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences took part in this cross-sectional analytical study. Participants completed Goleman's EI Scale and a researcher-designed communication skills questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the tools were measured throughout the study. Data analysis was carried out using analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS v18. The mean EI score was estimated to be 78.31 with the highest and lowest scores related to self-awareness (20.83) and self-management (18.19) dimensions respectively. The mean total score of communication skills was estimated to be 70.91. There was a significant relationship between total EI score and total communication skills score ( r =0.775, P <0.01) and a strong significant relationship between the four dimensions of EI and the total score of communication skills. Since EI and its dimensions have a positive effect on nurses' communication skills hospital managers can enhance EI by organising training sessions and promoting communication skills and provide the ground for continuous improvement of hospital services.

Patient-centred care training needs of health care assistants who provide care for people with dementia.

It is well documented that Health care assistants (HCAs) provide the most hands-on care to residents in aged care facilities, and play a critical role in the provision of care to dementia residents. Over the last 25years, a philosophy of person-centred care has become the preferred approach to care and this has meant that HCAs are encouraged to get to know the resident very well. This paper reports the experiences of HCAs in caring for people at end-of-life, identifies the skills required for their work and examines the education provided against these skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 49 facilities (n=34) across New Zealand and data analysed thematically, with the aim of critically examining the adequacy of education for health care assistants which meets their needs within a person-centred environment. The results confirm that the skills include traditional tasks of care (showering, feeding, toileting, and dressing) but the increasingly important communication and de-escalation skills, both verbal and non-verbal, have become central to their care skills. Education provided has not sufficiently shifted focus to include these more complex skills. Provision of educations that acknowledges the increased complexities of their role needs to be provided. As well, facilities need to be challenged to reconsider the HCA's position in the facility care tem.