Maximizing the acquisition of core communication skills at the start of medical training.
communication skills training
early years curriculum
real patient contact
Journal
Advances in medical education and practice
ISSN: 1179-7258
Titre abrégé: Adv Med Educ Pract
Pays: New Zealand
ID NLM: 101562700
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2019
2019
Historique:
received:
18
04
2019
accepted:
29
07
2019
entrez:
8
11
2019
pubmed:
7
11
2019
medline:
7
11
2019
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Clinical communication teaching for medical undergraduates may involve real patient contact alongside simulated patient (SP) contact. However, there is still comparatively little known about the experience of learning with real patients and how that may impact on the SP encounter. To explore the impact of real patient contact on the experience of communication skills training and SP contact for first-year medical undergraduate students. As part of the 6-year MBBS undergraduate medical degree at Imperial College London, students are obliged to undertake communication skills training, which involves teaching with simulated and real patients. In 2017 (toward the end of formal teaching), a small sample of Year 1 medical students, who had taken part in extra-curricular teaching with real patients were recruited for the study to compare their performance with a control group in a SP encounter. The performance of both groups was analyzed alongside follow-up focus group data from a sample of the study group. Quantitative analysis revealed there was no significant difference in communication skills during a scored SP interview between students with real patient contact and those without. Focus group data, however, revealed valuable insights into the experience of learning with real patients. Students reported a marked increase in their confidence and ability to naturalize their communication skills as a result of real patient contact. Students also reported that skills gained through real patient contact may not always transfer easily to the SP setting. Real patient contact is an invaluable component of communication training for undergraduate medical students. For successful implementation, there needs to be a clear curricular purpose at pedagogical, practical and organizational levels. Students' experience of real patient contact can provide an informed foundation upon which to implement other modes of teaching.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Clinical communication teaching for medical undergraduates may involve real patient contact alongside simulated patient (SP) contact. However, there is still comparatively little known about the experience of learning with real patients and how that may impact on the SP encounter.
AIM
OBJECTIVE
To explore the impact of real patient contact on the experience of communication skills training and SP contact for first-year medical undergraduate students.
METHODS
METHODS
As part of the 6-year MBBS undergraduate medical degree at Imperial College London, students are obliged to undertake communication skills training, which involves teaching with simulated and real patients. In 2017 (toward the end of formal teaching), a small sample of Year 1 medical students, who had taken part in extra-curricular teaching with real patients were recruited for the study to compare their performance with a control group in a SP encounter. The performance of both groups was analyzed alongside follow-up focus group data from a sample of the study group.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Quantitative analysis revealed there was no significant difference in communication skills during a scored SP interview between students with real patient contact and those without. Focus group data, however, revealed valuable insights into the experience of learning with real patients. Students reported a marked increase in their confidence and ability to naturalize their communication skills as a result of real patient contact. Students also reported that skills gained through real patient contact may not always transfer easily to the SP setting.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Real patient contact is an invaluable component of communication training for undergraduate medical students. For successful implementation, there needs to be a clear curricular purpose at pedagogical, practical and organizational levels. Students' experience of real patient contact can provide an informed foundation upon which to implement other modes of teaching.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31695549
doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S212727
pii: 212727
pmc: PMC6717721
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
727-735Informations de copyright
© 2019 Mohiaddin et al.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
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