Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
eLearning to enhance physician patient communication: a pilot test of "doc.com" and "WebEncounter" in teaching bad
Christof J Daetwyler1, Diane G Cohen, Edward Gracely
1Drexel University College of Medicine, Simulation Center, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA. christof.daetwyler@drexelmed.edu
Background:
Physician-patient communication skills help determine the nature and quality of diagnostic information elicited from patients, the quality of the physician's counseling, and the patient's adherence to treatment. In spite of their importance, surveys have demonstrated a wide variability and deficiencies in the teaching of these skills.
Aim:
Describe two specific methodologies for teaching physician-patient communication skills developed at our institution and pilot test them for effectiveness.
Methods:
Between 2004 and 2009 we developed "doc.com," a series of 41 media-rich online modules on all aspects of healthcare communication jointly with the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare. Starting in 2006, we expanded our pre-existing experience with the videoconferencing system "WebOSCE" into the online application "WebEncounter." This new methodology combines practice of communication skills on standardized patients with structured assessment and constructive feedback. We had three randomized groups: controls who did only the assessment parts of a WebOSCE on two occasions, a doc.com group who had doc.com in between the assessment occasions, and a combined group that had both doc.com and a WebEncounter between assessments.
Results/Conclusion:
We found significant improvement in skills as components were added, and the training program was well received.
Related Concept Videos
Patient-centered Care
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning, patient...
Health Literacy
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...

