title: Do medical students like communication? Validation of the German CSAS (Communication Skills Attitude Scale).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attitudes towards communication skills of medical undergraduates can be gathered using the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). We aimed to develop a German version of the CSAS (CSAS-G) in order to explore attitudes towards communication skills in a German cohort. Additionally the potential influence of demographic factors was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We realized the CSAS-G and conducted a survey with 529 participants from 3 different years of study. We then carried out an explorative as well as confirmatory factor analysis and compared the attitudinal scores. Multiple regression analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The confirmatory analysis confirmed the two-subscale system revealed by the explorative factor analysis. Students indicate low levels of negative attitudes and moderate levels of positive attitudes. Attitudinal scores differ significantly in relation to gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CSAS-G can be used in German cohorts to evaluate attitudes towards communication skills. Medical students in our study show basically a positive approach. Further investigation is necessary to explore and understand attitudes towards communication skills of German medical students.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychic Health, Division for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychic Health, Division for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rockenbauch
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychic Health, Division for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmutzer
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychic Health, Division for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitude of health personnel; communication; medical education; undergraduate