Effectiveness of a brief training program in relational/communication skills for medical residents. Issue 6 (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barbosa, Miguel; Del Piccolo, Lidia; Barbosa, António
• Is Part Of: Patient education and counseling. Volume 102:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 1104
• Page End: 1110
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Breaking bad news -- Communication skills training -- Relationship-centered care -- Standardized/simulated patient -- Residents -- VR-CoDES; Patient education -- Periodicals; Health counseling -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Patient Education -- Periodicals; Éducation des patients -- Périodiques; Counseling -- Périodiques; Éducation sanitaire -- Périodiques; 615.5071
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.01.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0738-3991

Abstract

Highlights: A ten-hour training program can be effective in changing residents' relational/communication skills. Training should adopt multiple approaches, including self-reflection on personal videos. The training improved residents' abilities in responding to patients' cues and concerns. The training improved residents' abilities in conducting breaking bad news encounters. After 3-months the improvements observed in the first training session (4-h) were still present. Abstract: Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a brief training program in relational/communication skills (RCS) for medical residents. Methods: This longitudinal study enrolled 64 medical residents who participated in a RCS training program in small groups. Teaching was based on interviews with standardized patients and reflective practice. Video-recorded consultations were coded according to the Verona-Coding-Definitions-of-Emotional-Sequences (VR-CoDES) and a coding system developed to assess ten communication skills for breaking bad news. The outcome measures were: independent raters' score in RCS for breaking bad news and the percentage of providing space and empathic responses, by comparing baseline (T1) skills with those after three-days (T2) and three-months (T3). Results: After the training program residents provided more space for further disclosure of cues and concerns according to VR-CoDES definitions. There were significant improvements in seven of the ten communication skills for breaking bad news. All of these improvements were observed either at T2 or at T3. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a brief RCS training program designed to improve medical residents' ability to respond appropriately to patients' cues and concerns and to conduct a breaking bad news encounter. Practice implications: Brief RCS training programs adopting multiple approaches, should be offered as mandatory during residency programs.