Improvement of medical students' performance in simulated patient interviews by pre-clinical communication training

To compare the communication skills shown by medical students during simulated patient interviews between those who received training in communication during the preclinical years and those who did not.

A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the communication skills of several cohorts of fourth-year medical students from Universitat Internacional de Catalunya during simulated patient interviews. Out of a total of 477 students included in the study, 229 (48%) had received training in communication skills through a 60-hour elective course during the preclinical second year, while the remaining 248 (52%) had received none. Communication skills were assessed by an evaluation team using a numerical scale (0 to 10) that included eight categories: "verbal", "non-verbal", "empathy", "concreteness", "warmth", "message content", "assertiveness", and "respect". Scores obtained by trained and non-trained students were compared using the t-test.

A trend towards obtaining better results was observed among students who had received communication training (mean score: 6.98/10) versus none (6.83/10, t_(1,869)=-1.95, p=0.05). Non-trained male students obtained significantly lower mean scores than non-trained females in the categories of "respect" (7.48/10 vs. 7.83/10, t₍₉₆₈₎=-2.89, p<0.01), "verbal communication" (6.87/10 vs. 7.15/10, t₍₉₆₈₎=-2.61, p=0.01), "warmth" (6.53/10 vs. 6.95/10, t₍₉₆₈₎=-3.40, p<0.01), and "non-verbal communication" (6.49/10 vs. 6.79/10, t₍₉₆₈₎=-2.48, p=0.01). Trained female and male students had similar scores.

Training in communication skills during the preclinical years may improve fourth-year students' performance in simulated interviews with patients, particularly among males. These results demonstrate the importance of introducing specific training in communication skills early in the undergraduate medical curriculum.