Document Detail


Impact of student ethnicity and patient-centredness on communication skills performance.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20636584     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: The development of patient-centred attitudes by health care providers is critical to improving health care quality. A prior study showed that medical students with more patient-centred attitudes scored higher in communication skills as judged by standardised patients (SPs) than students with less patient-centred attitudes. We designed this multicentre study to examine the relationships among students' demographic characteristics, patient-centredness and communication scores on an SP examination.
METHODS: Early Year 4 medical students at three US schools completed a 12-item survey during an SP examination. Survey items addressed demographics (gender, ethnicity, primary childhood language) and patient-centredness. Factor analysis on the patient-centredness items defined specific patient-centred attitudes. We used multiple regression analysis incorporating demographic characteristics, school and patient-centredness items and examined the effect of these variables on the outcome variable of communication score.
RESULTS: A total of 351 students took the SP examination and 329 (94%) completed the patient-centredness questionnaire. Responses indicated generally high patient-centredness. Student ethnicity and medical school were significantly associated with communication scores; gender and primary childhood language were not. Two attitudinal factors were identified: patient perspective and impersonal attitude. Multiple regression analysis revealed that school and scores on the impersonal factor were associated with communication scores. The effect size was modest.
CONCLUSIONS: In a medical student SP examination, modest differences in communication scores based on ethnicity were observed and can be partially explained by student attitudes regarding patient-centredness. Curricular interventions to enhance clinical experiences, teaching and feedback are needed to address key elements of a patient-centred approach to care.
Authors:
Karen E Hauer; Christy Boscardin; Neil Gesundheit; Andrew Nevins; Malathi Srinivasan; Alicia Fernandez
Related Documents :
1277784 - Effectiveness of college students in an incentive community program for chronic hospita...
3108324 - Rapid introduction of oral feedings to tube-fed patients.
19391284 - Patient education program slashes ed readmissions.
1580034 - Patient satisfaction with pharmacologic erection program.
10182294 - Economic evaluation of end stage renal disease treatment.
1923214 - A quality-control program for colposcopic practice.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Multicenter Study    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Medical education     Volume:  44     ISSN:  1365-2923     ISO Abbreviation:  Med Educ     Publication Date:  2010 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-19     Completed Date:  2010-12-10     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7605655     Medline TA:  Med Educ     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  653-61     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143-0120, USA. Karen.hauer@ucsf.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Attitude of Health Personnel
Clinical Competence / standards*
Communication*
Education, Medical, Undergraduate
Ethnic Groups*
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Patient-Centered Care / standards*
Questionnaires
Students, Medical / psychology*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Making sense of differences between medical schools through Bourdieu's concept of 'field'.
Next Document:  Help, I'm losing patient-centredness! Experiences of medical students and their teachers.