Communication Education for Medical Students Based on Motivational Interview and Nonverbal Communication / 医学教育

Introduction: This paper reports the results of a practical communication education program for medical students that incorporates motivational interviewing and nonverbal communication. Methods: Changes in confidence in communication before and after the class were measured with the NRS scale and a corresponding t-test, and qualitative analysis of the class feedback was conducted by text mining using KH coders and content analysis. Results: The results showed that the students’ confidence in communication increased after the class. The most frequently mentioned topics in the feedback were communication, ability, class, learning, self, questions, conversation, speaking, partner, and listening. Conclusions: This is the first validation of the effectiveness of motivational interviewing and nonverbal communication in improving the communication confidence of Japanese medical students.

Communication difficulties and strategies used by the nurses and their team in caring for the hearing impaired / Dificuldades de comunicação e estratégias utilizadas pelos enfermeiros e sua equipe na assistência ao deficiente auditivo

Objectives: To identify communication difficulties faced by the nursing staff and to learn the strategies developed for non-oral communication. Methods: This is a descriptive, exploratory, level I study with a quantitative approach. The sample group comprised 37 registered nurses and 63 licensed practical nurses of a private hospital who, after undergoing the ethical-legal procedures, answered a questionnaire to identify difficulties faced and strategies used in the care for hearing-impaired patients. Results: Difficulty in explaining matters of interest to the patient was reported by 66% of professionals; and 32% reported difficulties in understanding patients in their way of communicate. The strategy adopted by 100% of respondents was mimicry, followed by lip reading, used by 94% of respondents; help from a person accompanying the patient was used by 65%, and written communication by 42% of respondents. Only 1% used communication via the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS). Conclusions: The difficulties found and the strategies adopted by the nursing staff in communicating with hearing-impaired patients justify the need to train these professionals to deliver a more humanized care, developing a more inclusive society for those with special needs.

Objetivo: Identificar as dificuldades de comunicação da equipe de enfermagem com os deficientes auditivos no decorrer da assistência de enfermagem e conhecer as estratégias desenvolvidas na comunicação não verbal. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo de caráter descritivo, exploratório, de nível I, com abordagem quantitativa. A amostra foi constituída por 37 enfermeiros e 63 técnicos em enfermagem de um hospital privado que, depois de cumprirem os procedimentos ético-legais, responderam a um questionário para identificar dificuldades e estratégias utilizadas no atendimento ao deficiente auditivo. Resultados: Dificuldade em explicar assunto de interesse do paciente foi relatada por 66% dos profissionais e, para 32%, dificuldade em entender o paciente a partir da sua forma de comunicação. A estratégia de comunicação utilizada por 100% dos pesquisados foi mímica, seguida por leitura labial, usada por 94%, auxílio do acompanhante por 65% e escrita por 42%. Somente 1% comunicou-se por meio de LIBRAS. Conclusões: As dificuldades encontradas e as estratégias utilizadas pela equipe de enfermagem na comunicação com pacientes deficientes auditivos justificam a necessidade de capacitar esses profissionais para promover uma assistência humanizada no contexto de uma sociedade mais inclusiva para portadores de necessidades especiais.

Development of communication education that facilitates first-year pharmacy students' respect for patients / 医学教育

Pharmacists must have a holistic understanding of patients and should make efforts to communicate with patients to support their medical therapy. In this study, we analyzed the effects of communication education by role-playing on first-year students who did not possess pharmaceutical knowledge or an image of pharmacists. All 248 first-year pharmacy students were educated about communication through the following four steps: 1) understanding the basics of communication, 2) the importance of role-playing by pharmacists and patients, 3) observation of role-playing by senior students and patients, and 4) observation of role-playing by classmates and simulated patients. After each step, students were given time to reflect and to write their impressions. These written comments were classified into the following four categories: 1) communication with patients, 2) respect for patients, 3) the role of pharmacists, and 4) the student's own attitudes and skills. As a result of our education program, more than 90% of the first-year students were able to understand the role of a pharmacist and why a pharmacist requires communication skills. The communication education made the students more aware of the patient in health-care.These results suggest that education increasing first-year students' understanding of and respect for patients is an essential component of professional education.

Response-Style Preferences for Doctor-Patient Communication and Psychobehavioral Traits of Medical Students Not Trained in Communication / 医学教育

A questionnaire presenting examples of doctor-patient communication was used to determine which of 5 response styles were preferred by 93 medical students not trained in communication. The students' psychobehavioral traits were also assessed with four scales. The results show that many medical students have their own way of communicating. Preferred response styles correlated with specific psychobehavioral traits. These results suggest that communication instructors should attempt to understand each student's communication level and guide students to learn useful communication styles in the medical setting.