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Assessing communication competence: a review of current tools
Julie M Schirmer1, Larry Mauksch, Forrest Lang
1Family Practice Center, Maine Medical Center, 272 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101, USA. schirj@mmc.org
Family Medicine
|March 2, 2005
Summary
Assessing physician-patient communication skills is crucial. Few tools effectively measure all essential communication elements, highlighting a need for better assessment instruments in medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Communication Skills Assessment
- Physician-Patient Interaction
Background:
- Communication competence is a priority for medical organizations in the US and Canada.
- Numerous tools exist for communication competence assessment, but comparative studies are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare instruments for assessing physician-patient communication skills.
- To identify instruments aligning with the Kalamazoo Consensus Statement (KCS) criteria.
Main Methods:
- A panel of six family medicine educators assessed 15 physician-patient interview instruments.
- Evaluation criteria included KCS elements, psychometric properties, and family physician priorities (family issues, efficiency, usability).
Main Results:
- Instruments rated highest on KCS elements were designed for faculty raters.
- These instruments showed variability in practicality/usability and psychometric properties.
- Few instruments excelled in psychometric properties or exploring family issues.
Conclusions:
- The study established a framework for evaluating communication skills assessment instruments.
- Further research with a larger reviewer cohort is needed to enhance validity and reduce bias.