title: Competence of medical students in communicating drug therapy: Value of role-play demonstrations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study used role-play demonstrations to train medical students to communicate drug therapy and evaluated the perceptions on this instructional approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  The second-year medical students who attended a prescription writing session (n = 133), participated in this study. Prescription communication was introduced by using role-play demonstrations. Participant's perceptions were explored by a self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussion. The academic achievement of attendees and nonattendees was compared with an objective structured performance evaluation (OSPE) station that tested students' competence in this skill.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most attendees responded to the questionnaire (81.2%). Almost all respondents expressed their desire to have similar demonstrations in other units. A large proportion of participants reported that role-play demonstrations helped them develop their communication skills, in general, confidence to communicate drug-related information in a prescription, and the ability to explain the aim of drug therapy to patients. Most trainees thought also that they developed skills to communicate instructions on drug use including drug dose, frequency of administration, duration of therapy, adverse drug reactions, and warnings. During the focus group interviews, students thought that role-play was useful but would be more beneficial if conducted frequently in small group as part of the curriculum implementation. The majority of students also reported improved competence in writing a complete prescription. Analysis of attendees and nonattendees grades in the OSPE showed that the former scored higher than the latter group (P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Role-play demonstrations were well accepted by medical students and led to the development of their competence in communicating drug therapy to patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Yasin I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Tayem
authors.affiliation: Medical Students, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Altabtabaei
authors.affiliation: Medical Students, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Mohamed W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Medical Students, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Mansour M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Arrfedi
authors.affiliation: Medical Students, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Hasan S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Aljawder
authors.affiliation: Medical Students, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Fahad A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Aldebous
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Khalid A J
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Al Khaja
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
authors.forename: Reginald P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sequeira
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004358:Drug Therapy; D006801:Humans; D013337:Students, Medical
keywords: Communication skills; drug therapy; medical students; objective structured performance evaluation; prescription; role-play