Evaluating the short-term effects of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students

Abstract

Purpose: Regardless of the growing importance of communication skills as a core clinical competence, few studies have determinedthe effects of communication skills courses in undergraduate medical curricula in Asian medical schools. The purpose of this studywas to examine the effectiveness of a communication skills program for preclinical medical students. Methods: A communication skills course was provided to 111 second-year medical students in a medical college in Korea. Students’self-assessed competency of communication skills was evaluated by a questionnaire survey. To examine the improvement in observedcommunication skills, the students’ encounters with standardized patients (SPs) were assessed at the first session and at the finalcourse assessment. A structured checklist, consisting of 25 communication skills items, was used for the assessment. Results: Students’ self-assessed competency of communication skills increased significantly after completion of the course (p<0.001). The observed communication skills scores also improved significantly at the end of the course; the mean scores of the first SPsencounters was 49.6 (standard deviation [SD], 11.1), and those of cases A and B at the final assessment were 61.5 (SD, 8.4) and69.6 (SD, 7.8), respectively (F61=269.54, p<0.001). Conclusion: Even a short period of medical communication skills course was beneficial in developing and improving communicationskills competency in preclinical medical students. Further studies should be followed to examine whether the acquisition ofcommunication skills during preclinical studies can be sustained into clerkship and actual practice.