Improving medical students' interpersonal communication skills, applying cochrane review evidence: Presenter(s): Conor Gilligan, University of Newcastle, Australia

The demand for medical students to be trained to communicate effectively has seen the emergence of interpersonal communication skills as core graduate competencies in medical training. We conducted a systematic review of interventions for medical students aiming to improve interpersonal communication in medical consultations. We searched five electronic databases in September 2020 and screened reference lists of relevant articles. We included randomised controlled trials, cluster-RCTs, and non-randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of interventions delivered to students in pre-service medical programmes. Standard Cochrane methodological procedures were used. We found 91 publications relating to 76 separate studies (involving 10,124 students). We performed meta-analysis according to comparison and outcome. Outcomes reporting on overall communication skills, empathy, rapport or relationship building, patient perceptions/satisfaction, information gathering, and explanation and planning were reported separately. The quality of evidence ranged from moderate to very low, and there was high, unexplained heterogeneity. Overall, interventions had positive effects on most outcomes, but generally small effect sizes and low quality limit the conclusions that can be drawn. for discussion include: programmes that include personalised feedback probably improve medical students' overall communication skills more than programmes that involve general or no feedback;and online or self-directed programmes may make little to no difference in improving skills in empathy or rapport compared with face-to-face teaching. Since publication of the papers in the review, the tertiary education sector has been rocked by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Taken together, the results of our review and the subsequent pandemic-related experiences lend weight to the notion that 'when taught, students will learn'. Combining the lessons of the review with those of the pandemic, we are in a position to offer well-informed guidance to educators and accreditors about the most practical and evidence-based approaches to teaching communication skills. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The impacts of COVID-19 measures on drug markets and drug use among a cohort of people who use methamphetamine in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Few studies of the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health measures on drug markets and drug use patterns have used longitudinal data. We aimed to examine whether COVID-19 measures were associated with increases in methamphetamine price, decreases in methamphetamine use frequency and subsequent changes in secondary outcomes of other drug use frequency in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis framework was used from a longitudinal cohort of people who use methamphetamine. SETTING: Victoria state, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred eighty-five VMAX study participants who reported a methamphetamine purchase after the onset of the pandemic were used for the price paid analysis. Methamphetamine or other drug use frequency analysis was performed using 277 participants who used methamphetamine during the pandemic or in the year before the pandemic. MEASUREMENTS: Price paid per gram of methamphetamine derived from the most recent purchase price and most recent purchase quantity. Frequency of methamphetamine and other drug use measured as the average number of days per week used in the last month. FINDINGS: Compared with pre-COVID-19 period, methamphetamine prices increased by AUD351.63 (P value <0.001) and by AUD456.51 (P value <0.001) in Melbourne and regional Victoria, respectively, during the period in which the most intense public health measures were implemented in Victoria. Although prices decreased after harder restrictions were lifted (by AUD232.84, P value <0.001 and AUD263.68, P value <0.001, in Melbourne and regional Victoria, respectively), they remained higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. A complementary 76% decrease was observed in relation to methamphetamine use frequency in regional Victoria (P value = 0.006) that was not offset by any changes in the frequency of use of other drugs such as alcohol, tobacco or other illicit drugs. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 public health measures in Victoria state, Australia, appear to have been associated with major price changes in the methamphetamine market and decreased frequency of use of the drug.

The impact of telehealth on patient attendance and revenue within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) provide culturally appropriate medical services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of telehealth on patient attendance and revenue within an ACCHO during COVID-19. METHOD: This is a time-series study of general practitioner attendances at a regional Victorian ACCHO in two periods: March-June 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and March-June 2020 (during COVID-19). RESULTS: After adjusting for the number of available appointments, there was a 27% increased rate of attendances per appointment slot during the COVID-19 period when compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, and a 59% increase in Medicare Benefits Schedule items claimed during the COVID-19 period, compared with the pre-COVID-19 period. DISCUSSION: The findings indicate that the provision of services via telehealth increased the number of people able to access the medical clinic, and that this had a positive financial impact for the organisation.