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Zerbini G, Reicherts P, Reicherts M, Roob N, Schneider P, Dankert A, Greiner SK, Kadmon M, Lechner V, Roos M, Schimmel M, Strube W, Temizel S, Uhrmacher L, Kunz M. Communication skills of medical students: Evaluation of a new communication curriculum at the University of Augsburg. GMS JOURNAL FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 41:Doc26. [PMID: 39131896 PMCID: PMC11310792 DOI: 10.3205/zma001681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Objectives Teaching communication skills plays a pivotal role in medical curricula. The aim of this article is to describe and evaluate a new communication curriculum developed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg (KomCuA), which was conceptualized by an interdisciplinary team based on recommended quality standards (i.e., helical, integrated, longitudinal). Methods A total of 150 medical students enrolled in the 1st, 3rd, and ≥5th semester participated in the study. They completed an online survey (numerical rating scales and validated questionnaires) evaluating their current communication skills, how these developed across the curriculum in terms of quality and self-confidence, and how helpful they considered practicing in small group tutorials with simulated patients. The students' attitudes towards communication and empathy in the context of medical care were additionally assessed. The students' responses were compared across semesters using one-way univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Overall, students reported improved communications skills due to attending the KomCuA and further considered practicing with simulated patients as being very helpful (large effect sizes). Compared to 1st semester students, 3rd and ≥5th semester students reported better communication skills (medium to large effect sizes). Additionally, ≥5th semester students showed stronger agreement towards the relevance of empathy in the context of medical care (medium effect size) compared to both 1st and 3rd semester students. Conclusion The KomCuA has shown to be an effective communication curriculum to support medical students in the development of their communication skills and positive attitudes towards empathy. Additional studies assessing students' communication skills and empathic attitudes longitudinally are warranted to confirm the present results and to gain further knowledge on how these essential skills and attitudes develop across medical curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Zerbini
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Reicherts
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Reicherts
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Education Sciences (DEMEDA), Augsburg, Germany
| | - Nina Roob
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Education Sciences (DEMEDA), Augsburg, Germany
| | - Pia Schneider
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Dankert
- University Hospital Augsburg, Psychooncology Service, CCCA, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Sophie-Kathrin Greiner
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Martina Kadmon
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Deanery, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Veronika Lechner
- University Hospital Augsburg, Psychooncology Service, CCCA, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Marco Roos
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Practice, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Mareike Schimmel
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Strube
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Selin Temizel
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Luise Uhrmacher
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Kunz
- University of Augsburg, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
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Zemlin C, Nourkami-Tutdibi N, Schwarz P, Wagenpfeil G, Goedicke-Fritz S. Teaching breaking bad news in a gyneco-oncological setting: a feasibility study implementing the SPIKES framework for undergraduate medical students. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:134. [PMID: 38347593 PMCID: PMC10863240 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05096-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is a crucial task for physicians to deliver life threatening information to patients (breaking bad news; BBN). Many aspects influence these conversations on both sides, patients, and doctors. BBN affects the patient-physician relationship, patients' outcome, and physicians' health. Many physicians are still untrained for this multi-facetted task and feel unprepared and overburdened when facing situations of BBN. Therefore, any faculties should aim to integrate communication skills into their medical curricula as early as possible. The SPIKES protocol is an effective framework to deliver BBN. Aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and obstacles of a BBN seminar and its acceptance and learning curve among undergraduate medical students. METHODS 158 2nd year undergraduate medical students attended a compulsory BBN seminar. The task was to deliver a cancer diagnosis to the patient within a patient - physician role-play in a gyneco-oncological setting before and after a presentation of the SPIKES protocol by the lecturer. The students evaluated important communication skills during these role-plays respectively. Self-assessment questionnaires were obtained at the beginning and end of the seminar. RESULTS Most students indicated that their confidence in BBN improved after the seminar (p < 0.001). They like the topic BBN to be part of lectures (76%) and electives (90%). Communication skills improved. Lecturer and seminar were positively evaluated (4.57/5). CONCLUSION The seminar significantly increased confidence and self-awareness in delivering life-threatening news to patients among undergraduate medical students. Important learning aspects of BBN and communication skills could be delivered successfully to the participants within a short time at low costs. The integration of communication skills should be implemented longitudinally into medical curricula starting before clinical education to increase the awareness of the importance of communication skills, to decrease anxiety, stress, and workload for future doctors and- most importantly- to the benefit of our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosima Zemlin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | | | - Pascal Schwarz
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Gudrun Wagenpfeil
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sybelle Goedicke-Fritz
- Department of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
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Dahmen L, Linke M, Schneider A, Kühl SJ. Medical students in their first consultation: A comparison between a simulated face-to-face and telehealth consultation to train medical consultation skills. GMS JOURNAL FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 40:Doc63. [PMID: 37881523 PMCID: PMC10594035 DOI: 10.3205/zma001645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Objective A simulated conversation between a physician and a family member, i.e., a medical conversation, was changed from a conventional face-to-face conversation (SS 2019) to a telehealth conversation (SS 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical education conversation is part of the biochemistry seminar "From Genes to Proteins" which second semester human medicine students take. The objective of this study was to analyze to what extent the switch from face-to-face to telehealth conversations affected student satisfaction and motivation. Methodology In the seminar, students study biochemical as well as competency-oriented content, such as how to talk to family members. In the summer semester of 2019, students were trained how to talk to their patients' family members in a traditional conversation setting with the help of lay actors in a classroom format. In the summer semester of 2020, this conversation took place under comparable conditions, but in the form of an online telehealth conversation instead. Student satisfaction and motivation were surveyed by means of an evaluation questionnaire following the seminar in both semesters. Results Both conversation formats achieved a high level of satisfaction from students (school grade A-B). For some evaluation items, such as "realistic conversation simulation", the face-to-face conversation was perceived as more satisfying (Md=5.0, IQR=1.0) than the telehealth conversation (Md=5.0, IQR=2.0). In addition, the face-to-face conversation resulted in higher subjective motivation from students (Md=5.0, IQR=1.0) than that of the telehealth conversation (Md=4.0, IQR=2.0). Conclusion The high student satisfaction and acceptance of both didactic concepts leads to the conclusion that the simulated telehealth conversation is an adequate substitute for the simulation of a traditional face-to-face conversation with regard to the parameters that were studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Dahmen
- University of Ulm, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm, Germany
| | - Maike Linke
- Dresden University of Technology, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Psychosocial Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Dresden, Germany
| | - Achim Schneider
- University of Ulm, Faculty of Medicine, Dean of Studies Office, Ulm, Germany
| | - Susanne J. Kühl
- University of Ulm, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm, Germany
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Strohmer R, Linder U, Kaden JJ. How to: Success factors for the implementation and establishment of the "longitudinal curriculum" on communicative competencies at the Medical Faculty Mannheim. GMS JOURNAL FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 40:Doc11. [PMID: 36923318 PMCID: PMC10010772 DOI: 10.3205/zma001593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Communicative competencies are of great importance to the medical profession, hence the teaching of them has been continuously expanded in recent years at many German medical schools. While individual courses on communicative competencies have already been established in the curricula, there remains, in part, a lack of longitudinal anchoring over the entire course of medical study. In 2008 the Medical Faculty Mannheim began implementing a longitudinal curriculum for communicative competencies. This paper outlines the general and phase-specific success factors in this process and gives practical recommendations and tips based on the personal experiences of the authors and the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate Strohmer
- Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Geschäftsbereich Studium und Lehrentwicklung, Lernkrankenhaus TheSiMa, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ute Linder
- Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Geschäftsbereich Studium und Lehrentwicklung, Lernkrankenhaus TheSiMa, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jens J. Kaden
- Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Geschäftsbereich Studium und Lehrentwicklung, Lernkrankenhaus TheSiMa, Mannheim, Germany
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