Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study
Background: Evidence highlights a lack of communication skills in doctors leading to dysfunctional consultations. To address this deficit, a private medical college instituted curricular reforms with inclusion of a longitudinal communication skills program. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2016;volume=5;issue=1;spage=45;epage=50;aulast=Shah |
| _version_ | 1818672113758765056 |
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| author | Sameena Shah Marie Andrades Fasia Basir Anila Jaleel Iqbal Azam Muhammad Islam Rashida Ahmed |
| author_facet | Sameena Shah Marie Andrades Fasia Basir Anila Jaleel Iqbal Azam Muhammad Islam Rashida Ahmed |
| author_sort | Sameena Shah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Evidence highlights a lack of communication skills in doctors leading to dysfunctional consultations. To address this deficit, a private medical college instituted curricular reforms with inclusion of a longitudinal communication skills program. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of this program by comparing the consultation skills of medical students of this college with a medical college without a communication skills program. Methods: A 4-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted in the third and final year. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in the distribution between OSCE stations total and construct scores. Results: At the end of the third year, 21 (31.34%), students of the study site (medical college 1 [college with integrated longitudinal communication skills program]) and 31 (46.26%) students from the comparison site (medical college 2 [comparable college without communication skills program]) consented. Medical college 1 achieved a significantly higher overall mean total station score of 68.0% (standard deviation [SD] =13.5) versus 57.2% (SD = 15.4) (P < 0.001). Significantly higher mean scores were achieved on three stations. At the end of the final year, 19 students (29.3%) from medical college 1 and 22 (34%) students from medical college 2 consented. The difference in overall mean total station score reduced from 9.2% to 7.1% (70.2) (SD = 13.7) versus 63.1 (SD = 15.2) (P = 0.004). The mean scores of both colleges decreased in "Patient presenting with Hepatitis C Report" station (P values 0.004 and 0.775) and in "Patient Request for Faith Healing Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus" station (P values 0.0046 and 0.036), respectively. Conclusion: Longitudinal communication skills in an undergraduate curriculum positively impacted consultation skills. Community-based training and faculty development are required to develop effective patient-centered consultation skills. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:34:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-34ce1c48a86949089b33ed434cce79cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:34:44Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-34ce1c48a86949089b33ed434cce79cc2022-12-21T21:58:22ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632016-01-0151455010.4103/2249-4863.184622Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot studySameena ShahMarie AndradesFasia BasirAnila JaleelIqbal AzamMuhammad IslamRashida AhmedBackground: Evidence highlights a lack of communication skills in doctors leading to dysfunctional consultations. To address this deficit, a private medical college instituted curricular reforms with inclusion of a longitudinal communication skills program. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of this program by comparing the consultation skills of medical students of this college with a medical college without a communication skills program. Methods: A 4-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted in the third and final year. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in the distribution between OSCE stations total and construct scores. Results: At the end of the third year, 21 (31.34%), students of the study site (medical college 1 [college with integrated longitudinal communication skills program]) and 31 (46.26%) students from the comparison site (medical college 2 [comparable college without communication skills program]) consented. Medical college 1 achieved a significantly higher overall mean total station score of 68.0% (standard deviation [SD] =13.5) versus 57.2% (SD = 15.4) (P < 0.001). Significantly higher mean scores were achieved on three stations. At the end of the final year, 19 students (29.3%) from medical college 1 and 22 (34%) students from medical college 2 consented. The difference in overall mean total station score reduced from 9.2% to 7.1% (70.2) (SD = 13.7) versus 63.1 (SD = 15.2) (P = 0.004). The mean scores of both colleges decreased in "Patient presenting with Hepatitis C Report" station (P values 0.004 and 0.775) and in "Patient Request for Faith Healing Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus" station (P values 0.0046 and 0.036), respectively. Conclusion: Longitudinal communication skills in an undergraduate curriculum positively impacted consultation skills. Community-based training and faculty development are required to develop effective patient-centered consultation skills.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2016;volume=5;issue=1;spage=45;epage=50;aulast=ShahCommunicationpatient-centered carepilot projectundergraduate medical education |
| spellingShingle | Sameena Shah Marie Andrades Fasia Basir Anila Jaleel Iqbal Azam Muhammad Islam Rashida Ahmed Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care Communication patient-centered care pilot project undergraduate medical education |
| title | Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study |
| title_full | Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study |
| title_short | Has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students? A pilot study |
| title_sort | has the inclusion of a longitudinally integrated communication skills program improved consultation skills in medical students a pilot study |
| topic | Communication patient-centered care pilot project undergraduate medical education |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2016;volume=5;issue=1;spage=45;epage=50;aulast=Shah |
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