Evaluating the effectiveness of communication skills training: a review of research

This review considers the effectiveness of communication skills training programs within medical school settings. Several components of training are evaluated: microcounseling, standardized patients, role play, and videotape review. Overall, these interventions have been shown to be effective in improving targeted communication skills (ie, use of open-ended questions). However, outcome data that support the transfer of training to actual patient encounters and subsequent patient outcomes (ie, satisfaction, adherence) are lacking.