Residents' Communication Skills and Patient-Centered Care: An Eight- year Observational Study from Lebanon

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Communication skills (CS) are a core competency in medical residency training.
• Direct observational studies on patient-centered communication are scarce in the Middle East.
• Assessing resident communication performance is crucial for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the communication skills of Family Medicine residents at AUBMC.
• To assess the residents' adoption of a patient-centered approach.
• To identify areas for improvement in communication skills training.

Main Methods:

• A review of 390 real-time observational evaluations of Family Medicine residents.
• Utilized closed-circuit television (CCTV) for monitoring resident-patient interactions.
• Employed a validated communication skills assessment form for data collection.

Main Results:

• Residents achieved high scores in opening interviews (97.4%) and explaining diagnoses/plans (90.5%).
• Scores were below 50% in patient-centered approaches and addressing patient emotions.
• No decline in empathy-related behaviors across residency levels was observed.
• A gender difference was noted in third-year female residents interviewing female patients.

Conclusions:

• Enhance teaching on patient-centered communication and emotional support.
• Incorporate cultural dynamics, including gender, into communication training.
• Targeted interventions are needed to improve specific communication skill deficits.