Development and pilot test of ComCare - a questionnaire for quick assessment of communicative and social competences in medical students after interviews with simulated patients

TY - JOUR

T1 - Development and pilot test of ComCare - a questionnaire for quick assessment of communicative and social competences in medical students after interviews with simulated patients

AU - Gärtner, Julia

AU - Prediger, Sarah

AU - Harendza, Sigrid

PY - 2021/3/15

Y1 - 2021/3/15

N2 - Background: Physicians' communicative and social competences are highly relevant for doctor-patient relationships. Simulation-based learning is frequently used to provide students with learning experiences resembling realistic medical situations. This study aims to assess communication and interpersonal skills in medical students after simulated consultations with a newly designed short questionnaire. Methods: In 2019, 103 final year students participated in a simulated consultation hour seeing four simulated patients. Communicative and social competences were assessed by a questionnaire including items for communication (Com) and interpersonal (Care) skills. The questionnaire was used by the simulated patients (ComCareP) after each consultation and as self-assessment by the students (ComCareD) after the fourth consultation. An explorative factor analysis was performed and the results of ComCareP and ComCareD were compared with respect to students' sex and advancement in their final year. Results: All ComCareP items loaded on one factor, which explained 50.7% of the variance. The participants self-assessed their communication and interpersonal skills significantly better than the simulated patients. No significant differences were found for students' sexes or advancement in their final year except for the item "responding to patients' needs satisfactorily" which was significantly lower in students at the end of their final year. Patients' general "satisfaction with the consultation" was higher while physicians' general "satisfaction with the consultation" was lower than their total ComCare mean score. The general satisfaction with the consultation showed a significant positive correlation with both ComCares' total mean scores. Conclusion: The ComCare measures communication and interpersonal skills as one factor. It can be used directly after consultations and shows significant positive correlation with the general satisfaction with a consultation. Since simulated patients' satisfaction with the consultation was higher than their ComCare score, other factors than communication and interpersonal skills could play a role for patient satisfaction with a conversation and need to be further investigated.

AB - Background: Physicians' communicative and social competences are highly relevant for doctor-patient relationships. Simulation-based learning is frequently used to provide students with learning experiences resembling realistic medical situations. This study aims to assess communication and interpersonal skills in medical students after simulated consultations with a newly designed short questionnaire. Methods: In 2019, 103 final year students participated in a simulated consultation hour seeing four simulated patients. Communicative and social competences were assessed by a questionnaire including items for communication (Com) and interpersonal (Care) skills. The questionnaire was used by the simulated patients (ComCareP) after each consultation and as self-assessment by the students (ComCareD) after the fourth consultation. An explorative factor analysis was performed and the results of ComCareP and ComCareD were compared with respect to students' sex and advancement in their final year. Results: All ComCareP items loaded on one factor, which explained 50.7% of the variance. The participants self-assessed their communication and interpersonal skills significantly better than the simulated patients. No significant differences were found for students' sexes or advancement in their final year except for the item "responding to patients' needs satisfactorily" which was significantly lower in students at the end of their final year. Patients' general "satisfaction with the consultation" was higher while physicians' general "satisfaction with the consultation" was lower than their total ComCare mean score. The general satisfaction with the consultation showed a significant positive correlation with both ComCares' total mean scores. Conclusion: The ComCare measures communication and interpersonal skills as one factor. It can be used directly after consultations and shows significant positive correlation with the general satisfaction with a consultation. Since simulated patients' satisfaction with the consultation was higher than their ComCare score, other factors than communication and interpersonal skills could play a role for patient satisfaction with a conversation and need to be further investigated.

KW - Clinical Competence/standards

KW - Communication

KW - Education, Medical, Undergraduate

KW - Humans

KW - Patient Simulation

KW - Physician-Patient Relations

KW - Social Skills

KW - Students, Medical

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires/standards

U2 - 10.3205/zma001464

DO - 10.3205/zma001464

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 33824904

VL - 38

SP - Doc68

JO - GMS J MED EDU

JF - GMS J MED EDU

SN - 2366-5017

IS - 3

M1 - Doc68

ER -