Implementing a communication skills programme in medical school: needs assessment and programme change.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Communication skills training (CST) is now a core clinical skill in medicine.
• A 1997 needs assessment at Dalhousie Medical School identified gaps in formal and informal CST.
• The goal was to inform the development of a new communication skills curriculum.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe findings of the CST needs assessment.
• Outline the development of an integrated, cross-curriculum CST program.
• Present early results from the program's evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Surveys administered to medical undergraduates (pre-clinical and clinical), residents, and faculty.
• Assessed learners' and faculty's perceptions of CST importance and existing training.
• Identified specific weaknesses in communication skills and assessment competencies.

Main Results:

• Learners and faculty recognized the importance of CST.
• Identified significant weaknesses in CST delivery and higher-order communication skills.
• Faculty reported challenges in assessing learners' communication competency.
• CST was largely absent in formal and informal clinical medical education.

Conclusions:

• A new, integrated CST program was implemented starting in 1998.
• Program development and evaluation occurred at pre-clinical, clerkship, and postgraduate levels.
• Faculty development and administrative support were crucial for program success.
• Initial program evaluation results at all levels were positive.