Teleoncology: Assessing online communication skills of millennial medical students.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13616-e13616
Author(s):  
Ernesto Gil Deza ◽  
Lourdes Gil Deza ◽  
Mariana Abal ◽  
Marta Dragosky ◽  
Claudia Lorena Acuna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Communication Channel ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Patient Understanding ◽  
Network Connection

e13616 Background: COVID-19 posed new challenges in patient care and led to an increase in teleoncology. This paper analyzes telemedicine communication skills of millennial medical students of the postgraduate program of Clinical Oncology at Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires. Methods: Student assessment was based on a video call interaction with simulated patients in two stations (30 minutes each) of the Virtual Observational Standard Clinical Examination (V-OSCE), implemented in November 2020. Students received virtual communication guidelines and participated in training sessions to use the video call platform. All interactions were recorded. Assessment items (Table). Results: A total of 25 students were evaluated: 1 (4%) was ineligible due to network connection issues; 24 (96%) participated in both interactions. We analyzed 48 interactions in total. Opening: 6/48 interactions completed all five required items. Most recurring problems: not checking for patient’s previous experience with teleoncology (37/48) and not providing an alternative communication channel in case of technical difficulties (40/48). Middle: the results were similar to in-person interaction observed in previous exams, 35/48 interactions completed all required items. End: 16/48 interactions completed both items. In 32/48 the student did not check for patient understanding of the information provided. Only 3/48 interactions completed all 12 items. Conclusions: A) The V-OSCE is a useful tool to practice and evaluate teleoncology communication skills. B) The Middle Moment of the interactions was similar to an in-person interaction. However, the Opening and End of the interview were more challenging. The most critical struggles being: checking for patient’s previous experience in teleoncology, providing an alternative communication channel in case of technical difficulties and checking for patient understanding. C) COVID-19 established new forms of communication that are likely to remain even after the pandemic has ended. It is important to address this demand for online communication skills in medical education curricula.[Table: see text]

Effect of adolescent and young adult cancer placements on advanced communication skills.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24182-e24182
Author(s):  
Helen Hatcher ◽  
Cameron Magrath ◽  
Debbie Critoph Hatcher
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Young Adult Cancer

e24182 Background: Communication with adolescent and young adult cancer (AYA) patients and their families can be challenging and requires extensive skills, often developed over time. Medical students can be afraid to encounter such challenges and treating teams can be protective of these vulnerable patients. Therefore, medical students can have little contact and experience communicating with AYA putting them at a disadvantage. We have developed a special study module (SSM) for students with the AYA multi-disciplinary team to promote student awareness of the unique challenges of communicating with AYA patients and provide essential skills for later practice. We present the findings from the first year of this module. Methods: Students at the University of Cambridge were offered a 6-week placement with the AYA cancer service. This involved shadowing members of the multi-professional cancer team and time on the AYA ward to talk with patients and their families in order to practice triadic communication skills. Mid-placement, an experiential learning experience with simulated patients focused on triadic interviews was also offered in line with our local clinical communication skills courses. After the module students were questioned about how they felt this had affected their practice and knowledge of communicating with AYA with cancer. Results: 12 students enrolled for the SSM over the year. All students found the placement widened their communication skills as well as their knowledge of AYA cancers and treatments. 4 main areas of learning were evident. 1.The problems faced by AYA patients as they try to establishing independent adult identities in the midst of severe illness or at the end of life and the implications for the triadic interview. 2. Information sharing during patient denial. 3. The AYA perspective: desire for control and their difficulty of communicating. 4.Challenges of communicating well in emotionally-charged situations. Conclusions: Experiential learning during the placement highlighted techniques for balancing both patient and parental involvement during consultations to maximise efficacy of information gathering. AYA cancer placements provide opportunities to develop advanced communication skills and can be augmented with experiential learning.

Metadiscourse, materiality and morality in communication skills training with simulated patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Peters
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Standardized Patients ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
The United States ◽  
Simulated Patient ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Communication Skills Training

Simulated patients (also known as standardized patients) are commonly employed by institutions of medical education to train medical students and assess their communication skills. This article demonstrates that such patients are not translational devices that enact prima facie standards of communication skills as laid out by the institutions that use them, but rather metadiscursively transform communication practices. This is shown via a case study that closely examines a series of interactions between a simulated patient and a third-year medical student during a practice exam designed for the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Skills. I use discourse analysis to show how communication skills are transformed in three practices: (1) simulated consultations between standardized patients and medical students; (2) spoken evaluations offered by standardized patients after simulated consultations between standardized patients and medical students; and (3) written evaluations offered by standardized patients in assessment forms. In particular, by attending to how a simulated patient makes the act of draping the patient a relevant communication skill, I explicate the material elements and moral implications of clinical communication. Finally, I consider the instructive role simulated patients play in medical education and how their standards build on and often stand in contrast to communication skills techniques. I conclude by making practical suggestions for communication skills training with simulated patients in medical education.

scholarly journals Assessment of Clinical Communication Skills of Medical Students Through the Simulated Patient Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilesh Chavda ◽  
Priti Solanky ◽  
Jatin V Dhanani ◽  
Aashal Shah ◽  
Nirav Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Simulated Patient ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Communication Skills Training ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Good Communication Skill

Background: Good communication skill is as crucial for the medical practitioner as medical knowledge for better patient outcome. Incorporating simulated patients for teaching communication skills and assessment can be beneficial for the learners as it gives them learning opportunities under a controlled environment. Objectives: 1. To assess the improvement in communication skills with the use of simulated patients after communication skills training. 2. To obtain feedback from simulated patients about patient satisfaction. 3. To obtain feedback from students and faculties about communication skills training intervention and simulated patients for assessment. Methods: After a thorough introduction and explanation of the study, out of total of 139 students from the fifth-semester bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS), 44 students gave the willingness to participate. Students were divided into two groups of 22 students; one group acted as doctors, and the other group acted as a standardized patient group. Each simulated patient was randomly assigned to one doctor to make a pair; thus, 22 random pairs of doctor and patients were formed. Before and after giving communication skills training, each doctor-patient pair's consultation was analyzed for clinical communication skills using the Kalamazoo scale adapted version by trained observers. After each consultation, each patient was given a patient satisfaction questionnaire to fill. Results: In this study, students were improved significantly in each competency of the Kalamazoo scale after communication skills training. Before giving this training, the total mean communication skills score of students was 49.86 (SD=10.73), and after training, it significantly improved to 75.45 (SD=15.78) (P < 0.05). Before the training, the mean patient's satisfaction score was 48.95 (SD=12.18), which significantly improved after training to 60.36 (SD=3.99) (P < 0.05). Students as well as observers, found the Kalamazoo scale very useful for communication skills training and assessment. In feedback, they mentioned that the simulated patient approach for the assessment of communication skills was useful. Conclusions: This study showed that the clinical communication skills training with a structured scale was helpful for medical students. Students were found interested in learning such new skills; thus, clinical communication skills training should be an integral part of medical education. Simulated patients were found useful and can be used for the assessment of other clinical skills in medical education.

scholarly journals Teaching Medical Students How to Ask Older Adults What Matters Using Simulated Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 582-582
Author(s):  
Laurin Mack ◽  
Jamie Cvengros ◽  
Erin Emery-Tiburcio
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Clinical Skills Assessment ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Skills Lab ◽  
What Matters

Abstract It is vital the workforce is prepared to meet the medical needs of our aging population. Asking older adults What Matters is an important aspect of excellence in clinical care. During a small group session in a two-year communication skills course, second year medical students (N=149) at Rush were taught how to ask What Matters as part of the 4Ms. Students then completed a video recorded Communication Skills Lab with a simulated older adult patient as they practiced how to discuss What Matters. Students then met with their instructors in individual feedback sessions to review the video and discuss strengths and areas for improvement in communicating with older adults. Students then completed a Clinical Skills Assessment for formal testing of their communication skills with older adults. Outcomes of the summative assessment will be presented and recommendations for integrating 4Ms into existing medical school and allied health curriculum will be discussed.

scholarly journals Medical Students and Patients Benefit from Virtual Non-Medical Interactions Due to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110283
Author(s):  
Taylor M Coe ◽  
Trevor J McBroom ◽  
Sarah A Brownlee ◽  
Karen Regan ◽  
Stephen Bartels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Medical Patient ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
Transplant Recipients ◽  
Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽  
Clinical Communication

Background: Patient care restrictions created by the COVID-19 pandemic constrained medical students’ ability to interact directly with patients. Additionally, organ transplant recipients faced increasing isolation due to the rise of telemedicine, the importance of social distancing and their immunosuppressed state. We created a pilot program to pair students with transplant patients for structured, virtual encounters and studied its impact on medical students and patients. Methods: In May 2020, medical students conducted virtual visits with patients via telephone or video conferencing. Patients and students were surveyed regarding their experiences and independent focus groups were conducted. The survey responses and focus group discussions were deidentified, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. Results: Ten participating students were in their first, second, or final year of medical school. The 14 patients were liver or kidney transplant recipients or kidney donors. All interactions lasted longer than 30 minutes, with 56% greater than 1 hour. Three themes emerged related to the student experience: improvement of their clinical communication skills, development of knowledge and attitudes related to organ transplantation and donation, and independent management of a patient encounter. Three themes related to the patient experience: appreciation of the opportunity to share their personal patient experience to help educate future physicians, a cathartic and personally illuminating experience and an opportunity to share the message of donation. Conclusions: This pilot program provided a novel opportunity for virtual student-patient interactions that was feasible, well-received, and mutually beneficial. The use of virtual non-medical patient experiences allowed for experiential learning during which students learned about both clinical medicine and enhanced their communication skills directly from patients. Additionally, patients were able to engage with medical students in a new way, as teachers of clinical interactions, and reported a high level of satisfaction in addition to deriving personal benefit.

scholarly journals Medical education challenges and innovations during COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2021-140032
Author(s):  
Michail Papapanou ◽  
Eleni Routsi ◽  
Konstantinos Tsamakis ◽  
Lampros Fotis ◽  
Georgios Marinos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Academic Trajectories ◽  
Traditional Structure ◽  
Physical Presence ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted the well-established, traditional structure of medical education. Τhe new limitations of physical presence have accelerated the development of an online learning environment, comprising both of asynchronous and synchronous distance education, and the introduction of novel ways of student assessment. At the same time, this prolonged crisis had serious implications on the lives of medical students including their psychological well-being and the impact on their academic trajectories. The new reality has, on many occasions, triggered the ‘acting up’ of medical students as frontline healthcare staff, which has been perceived by many of them as a positive learning and contributing experience, and has led to a variety of responses from the educational institutions. All things considered, the urgency for rapid and novel adaptations to the new circumstances has functioned as a springboard for remarkable innovations in medical education,including the promotion of a more “evidence-based” approach.

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