Evaluating verbal and non-verbal communication skills, in an ethnogeriatric OSCE.
OBJECTIVE
Communication during medical interviews plays a large role in patient adherence, satisfaction with care, and health outcomes. Both verbal and non-verbal communication (NVC) skills are central to the development of rapport between patients and healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of non-verbal and verbal communication skills on evaluations by standardized patients during an ethnogeriatric Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).


METHODS
Interviews from 19 medical students, residents, and fellows in an ethnogeriatric OSCE were analyzed. Each interview was videotaped and evaluated on a 14 item verbal and an 8 item non-verbal communication checklist. The relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication skills on interview evaluations by standardized patients were examined using correlational analyses.


RESULTS
Maintaining adequate facial expression (FE), using affirmative gestures (AG), and limiting both unpurposive movements (UM) and hand gestures (HG) had a significant positive effect on perception of interview quality during this OSCE. Non-verbal communication skills played a role in perception of overall interview quality as well as perception of culturally competent communication.


CONCLUSIONS
Incorporating formative and summative evaluation of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills may be a critical component of curricular innovations in ethnogeriatrics, such as the OSCE.
Collins
Lauren G
LG
Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Lauren.Collins@jefferson.edu
Schrimmer
Anne
A
Diamond
James
J
Burke
Janice
J
D000368:Aged; D057189:Checklist; D003142:Communication; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007697:Kinesics; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013337:Students, Medical; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014743:Videotape Recording