title: What are internal medicine residents missing? A communication needs assessment of outpatient clinical encounters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to guide curricular innovation, we looked at the feasibility and utility of performing a targeted needs assessment of the communication skills of PGY2 internal medicine (IM) residents in their continuity clinic, utilizing faculty direct observation with a validated instrument for communication skills evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of PGY2 residents in the Emory University School of Medicine IM Residency Program was invited to participate. Using the SEGUE Framework, a checklist of medical communication tasks, faculty assessed residents during a clinic encounter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty out of 53 (57%) PGY2 residents were assessed. SEGUE results indicate residents were most likely to "maintain patient's privacy" (100%), "greet patient appropriately" (97%) and "check/clarify information" (100%). Residents were least likely to "acknowledge waiting time" (7%), "explore psychosocial/emotional factors" (27%) and "outline agenda for visit" (33%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SEGUE Framework is a feasible tool to evaluate the communication skills of IM residents in a clinic setting. Many PGY2 IM residents in a large, urban practice do not elicit important psychosocial information during outpatient clinic visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More observation and evaluation of residents' communication skills are needed, with emphasis on building skills to "Understand the Patient's Perspective."
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Atlanta, USA. Electronic address: KLLUNDB@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Kristina L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lundberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010820:Physicians; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Direct observation; Graduate medical education; Patient–doctor communication