Introducing a teaching module to impart communication skills in the learning anaesthesiologists

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pre-operative negative valence communications adversely affect intra and post-operative pain experience. This study was conducted to evaluate the teaching of communication skills by teachers in anaesthesia department and whether the post-operative pain is effectively modified due to the skill of communication acquired by students. METHODS: All students and teachers in the department participated in the study. Patients with uncomplicated pregnancy posted for elective lower segment caesarean section were involved. Students were taught to explain the anaesthesia plan pre-operatively to the patients in a positive manner. They were taught the practice of giving positive suggestions before any potentially painful stimulus. Pre-operatively all students informed the patients about the conduct of spinal anaesthesia. The teachers evaluated the students performing spinal block. The performance was rated for procedural and interpersonal skills (direct observation of procedural skills [DOPS] and Smith and Kendall Behavioural scale [SKBS] respectively). The extent of cooperation and the ease with which spinal block could be administered correctly by the student was judged by the teacher. Post-operatively students were randomly provided questionnaires to elicit answers from patients. RESULTS: P value DOPS and SKBS (0.567, 0.867) show no significant statistical variation. P > 0.05 = not significant, indicates no significant variation in procedural and behavioural skills of students in two groups. CONCLUSION: Teaching of communication skills to students showed a demonstrable effect on their pre-operative dialogue with patients. Pain mechanism was effectively modulated by improving patients’ psychology to undergo anaesthesia.