The development and effects of a medical communication skills program for medical school students

The purpose of the study is to develop education programs for improving medical school students' medical communication ability, and to provide basic information to help develop and operate medical communication education programs by analyzing the education programs and students satisfaction from the education effects.

The method was to survey 116 sophomores in C medical school in 2014 in order to research students' demands for the medical communication education, level differences of communication between before and after of the education, and students' satisfaction from the education program. Analysis of frequency, paired samples t-test, descriptive statistic analysis were used for the research.

There were not only many students who did not get general communication educations before admission, but also many students who said they need medical communication education. On the whole, students' abilities of communication were improved. Building relationship, information gathering, sharing information, understanding one's perspectives factors was improved meaningfully in the statistics. However opening relationship, reach agreement, and providing closure were not improved meaningfully in the statistics. On the whole, the students were satisfied from the education programs.

To develop education programs for medical communication ability, we need to construct the objectives of education and contents by researching students' demands and level of learning in communication area. Moreover we have to design curriculum to maintain the education effects consistently.