title: Communication skills for mobile remote presence technology in clinical interactions.
abstract: The use of mobile robotic units for teleconsultation means that the clinician's cognitive and attention skills are divided between tele-operation of the robotic unit and the consultation with the patient. We developed a communication guide based on evidence-based patient-centred interviewing and telephone conferencing skills. The communication guide was tested by five trainee surgeons in a pre- and post-test design. Each surgeon completed three simulated patient consultations. After reading the communication guide, trainees completed three further consultations. The trainees rated authenticity, degree of difficulty, familiarity of clinical presentation and confidence in using telepresence to manage the consultations. Their mean scores were 3.0-4.6, 2.2-4.0, 4.4-4.8 and 3.2-4.2 respectively (maximum possible score 5). The simulated patients rated their satisfaction with communication. Their ratings suggested that there were areas for communication skills development with mean scores ranging from 8.2 to 11.4 (maximum possible score = 15). Although we do not yet know enough about communicating with real patients using mobile robotic units, the communication guide appeared to be useful in our simulated interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology, Division of Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anaesthesia, Imperial College London, London, UK. d.nestel@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nestel
authors.forename: Parvinder
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sains
authors.forename: Cordula M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: Carmel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Roger L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kneebone
authors.forename: Ara W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Darzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards*