Relationship of resident characteristics, attitudes, prior training and clinical knowledge to communication skills performance.
OBJECTIVE
A substantial body of literature demonstrates that communication skills in medicine can be taught and retained through teaching and practice. Considerable evidence also reveals that characteristics such as gender, age, language and attitudes affect communication skills performance. Our study examined the characteristics, attitudes and prior communication skills training of residents to determine the relationship of each to patient-doctor communication. The relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application (biomedical and ethical) was also examined through the use of doctor-developed clinical content checklists, as very little research has been conducted in this area.


METHODS
A total of 78 first- and second-year residents across all departments at Dalhousie Medical School participated in a videotaped 4-station objective structured clinical examination presenting a range of communication and clinical knowledge challenges. A variety of instruments were used to gather information and assess performance. Two expert raters evaluated the videotapes.


RESULTS
Significant relationships were observed between resident characteristics, prior communication skills training, clinical knowledge and communication skills performance. Females, younger residents and residents with English as first language scored significantly higher, as did residents with prior communication skills training. A significant positive relationship was found between the clinical content checklist and communication performance. Gender was the only characteristic related significantly to attitudes.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender, age, language and prior communication skills training are related to communication skills performance and have implications for resident education. The positive relationship between communication skills proficiency and clinical knowledge application is important and should be explored further.
Laidlaw
Toni Suzuki
TS
Division of Medical Education, Clinical Research Centre, Dalhousie University, 5849 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4H9. Toni.Laidlaw@dal.ca
Kaufman
David M
DM
MacLeod
Heather
H
van Zanten
Sander
S
Simpson
David
D
Wrixon
William
W
D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009674:Nova Scotia; D015588:Observer Variation; D012737:Sex Factors