How do medical specialists value their own intercultural communication behaviour? A reflective practice study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Studies
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Intercultural communication skills are crucial for doctors but not well-integrated into medical education.
• The motivations behind doctors using intercultural communication skills remain unclear.
• This study explores how medical specialists perceive and reflect on their intercultural communication practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how medical specialists perceive their intercultural communication behavior with patients.
• To understand how specialists reflect on their communication practices with both native and non-native patients.
• To identify challenges and motivations in intercultural communication within medical consultations.

Main Methods:

• 17 medical specialists participated in reflective practice sessions.
• Specialists reviewed video recordings of their consultations with native and non-native patients.
• Interviews were analyzed using thematic network analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants reported minimal differences in communication with native versus non-native patients.
• Generic communication skills like listening and checking understanding were frequently mentioned.
• Key challenges included language barriers, cultural differences, interpreters, family involvement, and atmosphere.

Conclusions:

• Specialists may be unaware of subtle differences in their communication with non-native patients.
• A potential lack of reflective skills on communication processes was observed.
• Focusing on generic skills over specific intercultural communication skills might indicate unawareness or a different prioritization.
• Experiential learning combined with intercultural communication training, including reflective practice, is suggested to improve awareness.