title: Training medical practitioners in information transfer skills: the new challenge.
abstract: Traditionally, undergraduate medical education has concentrated on teaching students how to gather information or take medical histories from their patients. However, research increasingly indicates that there is a need for medical practitioners to improve their skills in information transfer in a way which will increase the probability that patients are active collaborators in their treatment. Consequently, Newcastle Medical School has sought to develop training packages for medical students in information transfer skills. This paper describes the resulting training programme with particular emphasis on the areas selected for training, the methods by which students are taught, the necessary interactional skills and the assessment procedures which are applied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Science in Relation to Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Sanson-Fisher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods