Communication skills between physicians' insights and parents' perceptions in a teaching hospital in KSA

OBJECTIVES: Communication between physicians and parents is the cornerstone of their relationship to reach a common goal of better child health. To deliver proper communication, a physician needs to learn certain skills that are not included in the curriculum of medical schools or paediatrics residency training in KSA. This study probed the physicians' attitude towards their styles of communication based on the parents' perception. METHODS: The data were collected from a randomly selected sample of physicians and parents from general paediatrics wards at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC), Riyadh, KSA. We used a validated Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CAT-T) questionnaire and a translated version of the CAT-T questionnaire for the physicians and parents, respectively. The data were then analyzed using variable qualitative and quantitative statistical methods. RESULTS: The data were collected from 63 physicians and 100 parents in the pediatric wards at KSUMC. We observed an increased level of confidence in communication skills (CS) among experienced physicians, while young physicians expressed concerns regarding their communication with parents concerning decision-making. The parents rated the physicians' skill of active listening as poor. However, the parents rated the physicians' introduction as higher than their own self-rating. In addition, the parents' satisfaction with the physicians' CS was inversely related to the parents' level of education. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests a clear discrepancy between the physicians' insights and the parents' perceptions about the CS. This finding emphasizes a need for further training among physicians to satisfy parents and in ultimately improving child health in the KSA.