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How good are medical students at communicating risk? An implementation study at three German medical schools
Oana R Groene1, Corinna Bergelt2, Maren Ehrhardt3
1Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Objective:
To assess the objective and subjective risk communication skills of medical students in three universities in Germany METHODS: We developed a risk communication skills Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) station and implemented it in three medical schools in Germany. 596 students contributed data to a risk communication checklist and a risk communication self-assessment. Multiple linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with the risk communication OSCE performance.
Results:
Participants in our study achieved on average 73.5% of the total risk communication skills score, which did not differ between locations (F(2-595) = 1.96; p = 0.142). The mean objective performance of students who assessed their skills as poor was significantly worse than the performance of students who assessed their skills as good (t(520) = -5.01, p < 0.001). The risk communication skills score was associated with native language but not with gender nor General Point Average (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Medical students demonstrated acceptable risk communication skills scores and were able to self-assess their performance. However, selected communication techniques should be re-emphasised in the undergraduate medical curriculum.
Practice Implications:
Our research identified shortcomings in particular subgroups that can be addressed through tailored curriculum interventions.