Implement communication skills training in medical curricula¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (3 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review's discussion recommends that medical education deliberately train communication, since communication seems to be a key aspect of patient satisfaction. It notes many universities already use role play with simulated or standardized patients, and that interpersonal qualities such as "an adequately friendly welcome, keeping eye contact, or showing empathy" can be taught and learned during trainings or practical education.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Training should cover how procedures, therapies and test results are explained, time for patients to talk, and reactions to questions

Constraints¶

• The recommendation rests on the review's synthesis of stakeholder-preference studies, not on a trial of training within this review itself

Target Learners¶

• medical students
• doctors

Target Learning Goals¶

• communication with patients
• patient involvement in medical decisions
• interpersonal qualities such as empathy

Claims¶

• Stakeholder groups differ in their conceptions of a good doctor, with patients emphasizing communication and doctors medical skills [+W]
• Patient-satisfaction questionnaires focus strongly on communication skills [+W]
• Doctors rate medical competence and ethics most important and never rank communication first [-W]
• General interpersonal qualities and communication are the most frequently mentioned good-doctor attributes across 20 studies [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Position immersive technologies and virtual patients as supplementary components within blended learning rather than stand-alone replacements for established clinical communication training

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Steiner-Hofbauer Verena, Schrank Beate, Holzinger Anita. (2017). What is a good doctor? Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-017-0597-8