Impact of a communication skills audiovisual package on medical students' knowledge.
BACKGROUND
Over the last decade more emphasis is being put on teaching communication skills (CS). Use of videos and role-play was suggested to improve CS. This article will present the impact of an audiovisual package on promoting the knowledge of medical students in CS.


METHODS
Seventy-five second year medical students--distributed into eight groups led by four facilitators--critiqued a video clip immediately before and after the introduction of a communication skills audiovisual package. The skills taught included opening the interview, questioning, facilitation, clarification, reflection, confrontation, summarizing, and preparation of the patient for the physical exam. The students, also, role-played the reviewed scenario. The students' pre- and post-intervention responses were analyzed using a standardized grading form.


RESULTS
There was a significant improvement in students' knowledge (p < 0.000) after the introduction of the intervention in all the CS taught except closed ended questioning. This improvement was consistent among the four facilitators.


CONCLUSIONS
Reviewing video scenarios and role-playing improved the knowledge in core communication skills among second-year medical students assessed by a video-based written examination.
Saab
Bassem R
BR
Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Usta
Jinan
J
Major
Stella
S
Antoun
Jumana
J
D000328:Adult; D001296:Audiovisual Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003142:Communication; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D024382:Professional Role; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013663:Teaching; D013997:Time Factors