ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Communication skills education is still relatively new in some non-Western countries. Further, most evaluation research on communication skills education examines only short-term results. In our communication skills program in Qatar, we aimed to: 1) assess the impact of the communication skills course on participant skills application; 2) assess the length of time since course completion associated with participant skills application; and 3) assess participant gender or clinical position associated with participant skills application. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty-eight physicians completed a seven-module communication skills course. Participants reflected on what they learned in the course and how the course had impacted their behavior through a nine-item online survey that included a four-item Communication Workshop Impact Scale (CWIS), three open questions, and two demographic questions. To assess the effect of time since workshop on outcomes, we stratified the respondents into five groups based on how long ago they had completed the course. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty-two physicians completed the survey. Participants reported agreement with the items on the CWIS: X=4.45 (range 1-5; SD=0.70). When asked which skill(s) they had been able to implement in their clinical practice, 235 gave a specific response, either a specific communication skill (eg, ask open questions), a higher-order category of skills (eg, questioning skills), or the name of one of the seven modules of the course. Only 28 participants listed the name of a skill or module name that they had not been able to implement. There was no evidence of difference in CWIS score based on time since course completion. There was no gender difference; however, residents had significantly lower CWIS scores than fellows (4.70 vs. 4.29, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Participants reported agreement with response items about the impact of the course on their skills application. Participant gender did not play a significant role, but residents had lower scores than did fellows. Furthermore, most physicians (92%) were able to name something specific that they had learned from the course and were currently implementing in their practice. Positive outcomes of the course did not seem to diminish over time. Future research should identify whether observable communication behavior matches the self-reported behavior.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Health-care communication skills training may be particularly needed in the Arabian Gulf countries because of the variety of cultures within the physician and patient populations. This study describes the implementation and results of a communication skills training program for physicians in Qatar that assessed previous training, and effect of previous training on participants' course evaluations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a 2-day communication skills training course covering seven culturally adapted modules. Educational strategies included large and small group work with the standardized patient, demonstration videos, and lectures. At the end, participants completed a course evaluation survey. Data analysis performed with SPSS; frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Chi-square test applied to evaluate statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 410 physicians in Qatar have participated in the course over a period of 2 years. Evaluation ratings of the course were high. Participants rated the module on Breaking Bad News as the most useful, and the small group role-play as the most helpful course component. One-third of participants had previously participated in experiential communication skills training. There was no association between previous experience and evaluation of the course. CONCLUSION: Physicians in Qatar positively evaluated a 2-day communication skills course, though the majority of participants did not have any previous exposure to experiential communication skills training.
