Teaching Communication Skills to Medical and Pharmacy Students Through a Blended Learning Course.
Objective. To evaluate the impact of an interprofessional blended learning course on medical and pharmacy students' patient-centered interpersonal communication skills and to compare precourse and postcourse communication skills across first-year medical and second-year pharmacy student cohorts. Methods. Students completed ten 1-hour online modules and participated in five 3-hour group sessions over one semester. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) were administered before and after the course and were evaluated using the validated Common Ground Instrument. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to examine pre/postcourse domain scores within and across professions. Results. Performance in all communication skill domains increased significantly for all students. No additional significant pre/postcourse differences were noted across disciplines. Conclusion. Students' patient-centered interpersonal communication skills improved across multiple domains using a blended learning educational platform. Interview abilities were embodied similarly between medical and pharmacy students postcourse, suggesting both groups respond well to this form of instruction.
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Rick
R
Hess
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Nicholas E
NE
Hagemeier
East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Reid
R
Blackwelder
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Daniel
D
Rose
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Nasar
N
Ansari
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Tandy
T
Branham
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016544:Patient Simulation; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D013337:Students, Medical; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D013663:Teaching
blended learning; communication skills; objective structured clinical examinations