Faculty development in communication skills instruction: insights from a longitudinal program with "real-time...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Teaching communication skills is often assigned to multidisciplinary faculty.
• Faculty frequently lack a standardized teaching model and experience in small-group facilitation.
• Effective communication skills are crucial in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a faculty development program for teaching communication skills.
• To outline the program's phased implementation and review process.
• To identify strategies for effective small-group communication skills instruction.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase faculty development program was implemented.
• Phase 1: A two-step Delphi approach identified core communication skills.
• Phase 2: Faculty practiced identifying teaching issues and small-group strategies.
• Phase 3: Videotaped teaching sessions were reviewed by faculty and students, providing feedback.

Main Results:

• The program provided a structured approach to faculty development in communication skills.
• Faculty gained practice in identifying and addressing communication teaching challenges.
• Student feedback offered real-time insights into faculty teaching effectiveness.
• New strategies for facilitating small-group communication skills were identified.

Conclusions:

• A multifaceted faculty development program can effectively enhance communication skills instruction.
• Integrating Delphi methodology, practice, and multi-source feedback improves teaching.
• This program offers a model for improving faculty capacity in communication education.